
LIBRARY OF CONGRE 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



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THE 



PHILOSOPHY 



OF 



MENTAL HEALING 

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OF 
NATURAL RESTORATIVE POWER 



BY 

MEANDER EDMUND WHIPPLE 










NEW YORK 

The Metaphysical Publishing Company 
1893 



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Copyright 1893 

BY 

The Metaphysical Publishing' Company. 



PREFACE. 

Dueing the years in which the curative influence 
of mental practice has been demonstrated, there has 
developed a quiet yet earnest appreciation of the 
importance of the work. This is naturally expressed 
in a constantly increasing demand for some book 
which will give a correct idea of what Mental Healing 
is, and what may reasonably be expected to result 
from an understanding of its principles. To meet 
this growing demand for information of a practical 
nature, the present volume has been prepared, with 
the belief that the results of experience must prove 
of value to earnest inquirers. 

In planning its scope and entering into the detail 
of explanation, it is recognized that the subject will 
be new to many readers, and that in some instances 
the established facts will run counter to accepted 
theories of life, even as the results of practice con- 
trast with the consequences of acting upon more 
familiar theories. Also, that the usages of language 
necessary for intelligible explanation of metaphysical 
principles are in a measure unfamiliar to those who 
have not made these principles a study; therefore, 



those usages can not be strictly adhered to without 
detracting from the usefulness of the book. 

The subject deals minutely with nearly every 
field of mental research, and to explain each point 
in detail would require a volume of such proportions 
that few would find it available ; indeed, it is so exten- 
sive and so absorbingly interesting that the temptation 
to become voluminous in explanation of either theory 
or practice is almost irresistible. In view of these 
considerations, and in order that the present work 
may cover the broadest field of usefulness, it becomes 
important that it should be somewhat limited in 
extent, yet of sufficient clearness to convey to those 
unfamiliar with the nomenclature not only a correct 
impression of the Ideas involved, but of their practical 
value to humanity. 

The principal aim has been to present concisely 
those ideas most important to a general understanding 
of the natural relation existing between life and 
health, together with an explanation of the laws 
which render Mental Healing possible. Another pur- 
pose has been to set forth the demonstrated facts 
of Metaphysical Healing, in such a manner . that 
inquiring minds may be enabled personally to examine, 
through the experiences of those around them, some 
of the common lines of mental action in which proofs 



are obtainable that mind both causes and cures dis- 
ease. Successfully to accomplish all this in one small 
volume is no simple task, and a consideration of the 
difficulties involved will insure the indulgence of the 
critical reader. 

No claim is made to original conception of idea 
with regard to the theory of cure by mental influ- 
ence exerted through the imaging faculty. Though 
practically new to Western thinkers, this idea, in 
some form or other, has existed for centuries in the 
Orient. It has also been demonstrated and taught 
to a moderate extent by some of those interested in 
the Mental Healing movement for the past thirty 
years ; yet its importance seems to have been under- 
rated, and it appears to have been frequently set 
aside in favor of theories offering greater allure- 
ments — theories which, perhaps, appeal more to the 
emotions than to the faculties of intelligence exerted 
through intellectual and scientific thought. 

The claim made for this work is, that it presents — 
though in a form necessarily limited — the results of 
experience derived from many years of constant study 
of mental influences and their physical effects, in a 
practice of wide extent, maintained among people 
of the highest grades of intelligence, where the action 
of mind could be observed in all its varying phases. 



The most careful and painstaking tests have been 
made of all modes of mental action met with, and of 
their various correspondences in the physical system. 
This study has been conducted without bias of any 
sort, and with the one purpose always foremost : to 
extract from amidst the mass of conflicting theories 
and of . confusing testimony frequently advanced, the 
fundamental truth of the Mental Healino; movement — 
a truth, so evident in many of its results of practice. 
This investigation has developed facts of human exist- 
ence heretofore unrecognized by modern thinkers, and 
principles of life-action not generally taught even in 
the advanced Schools of Mental Healing. 

Careful study shows that the Imaging Faculty 
of Mind is the instrument of human existence. This 
being true, it follows that only through the natural 
laws by which Mind images Ideas can any real mode 
of action in human life become established. On 
examination, this statement proves to be a Truth 
that withstands every form of honest investiga- 
tion — the hotter the fire, the brighter and purer the 
metal which emerges from the flames. 

The writer entertains the opinion that Absolute 
Truth can safely invite any amount of careful investi- 
gation, together with the most thorough and accu- 
rate tests that can be applied through logic, reason 



and philosophical thought, or in scientific experiment 
of the most accurate description ; in fact, the closer 
such investigation keeps to actual facts, the more 
staunch and immovable stands the idea under exam- 
ination, provided it be the Truth. 

So-called Truth which depends upon an effer- 
vescing, emotional sentiment for either recognition 
or practical application, will vanish as soon as its 
effervescence has reached the natural limit of its 
simulated action; and a " Truth " which must be 
taken on the statement of others, because it will not 
bear independent investigation, has no attractions 
for any thinker capable of appropriating and bringing 
into useful development the facts of universal reality. 

Extended explanation of the various topics of 
each subject contained within this philosophy will 
be given in separate works calculated to deal with 
each subject independently in so far as is found 
practicable. It is thought, however, that the present 
volume may prove valuable as an introduction to 
all lines of study of this really inexhaustible subject, 
by means of the explanation given of Mental Action 
and its natural physical effect, which is the key to 
many of the mysteries of human existence. 

L. E. W. 
New York, August, 1893. 




I HE PHILOSOPHY OF 

MENTAL HEALING. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface, . - iii 

I. METAPHYSICAL HEALING: 

Its Nature and Scope, . . . .13 

II. METAPHYSICS versus HYPNOTISM : 

Is Mind Cure Mesmerism ? 34 

III. THE POTENCY OF METAPHYSICS IN SURGERY : 

Does Mental Healing Claim to Replace Surgery? 47 

IV. THE PROGRESS OF THE AGE : 

Universal Ether and Telepathy, ... 59 

V. INTELLIGENCE AND SENSATION : 

The Office of the Senses, . . . • • 75 

VI. MENTAL ACTION : 

The Process of Thought, .... 87 

VII. THE PHYSICAL REFLECTION OF THOUGHT : 

Its Expression on the Body, .... 101 



VIII. THE MENTAL ORIGIN OF DISEASE : 

Thought Images, 115 

IX. CURATIVE INFLUENCES: 

What is a Mental Cure? 129 

X. THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ANGER : 

How Mental Action Causes Disease, . . 144 

XL THE INFLUENCE OF FEAR IN SICKNESS: 

Discordant Emotion and its Results, . . 155 

XII. ILLUSTRATIVE CASES: 

Cures that have been Effected, . . . 171 

XIII. CURES THAT HAVE BEEN EFFECTED (Contin'd) . 

Various Effects of Fright, .... 181 

XIV. MUSCULAR and INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS : 

Heart Disease, Fevers and Colds, . . . 195 

XV. THE COMMON GROUND OF HEALING.METHODS : 

Why do Conflicting Theories Heal? . . 209 

XVI. CONCLUSION : 

The Importance of the Movement, . 225 



THE 



PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALING. 



CHAPTER I. 

METAPHYSICAL HEALING. 

Its Nature and Scope. 

Among the questions arising in the mind of every 
investigator of this subject, the following are perhaps 
oftenest asked, because most important to an intel- 
ligent comprehension of the scope and importance of 
the movement : 

1. What is Metaphysical Healing ? 

2. In what sense is it metaphysical ? 

3. What knowledge is the basis of the theory ? 

4. What benefits are likely to result from an un- 
derstanding of the principles ? 



5. Has it any foundation in Science, Philosophy, 
Logic or Eeason ? 

6. Are the theory and working power capable of 
scientific demonstration ? 

7. "Will the knowledge be of permanent benefit to 
man? 

8. "Will any harm result from the practice ? 

Clear and correct answers to these questions are of 
vital importance to those who wish to understand the 
manifold phases of human existence. In these times of 
varying opinion, diverging views and contradictory 
theories, life's problem frequently seems more than 
ever difficult to understand ; but, in fact, the increased 
activity of mind which is expressed in diversified 
thought, leads to extended research, which is clear- 
ing up many obscure subjects and bringing to light 
hidden mines of knowledge. This frequently develops 
resources of the human mind heretofore unrealized. 
One important result is a re-discovery of the healing 
power which inheres in rightly regulated thought- 
action, and which is now presented under the head of 
Metaphysical Healing. 

Metaphysical Healing is a mental method of .estab- 
lishing health, through an understanding of the funda- 
mental principles of Being or universal Life and the 
working laws of its activities. It is commonly known 



as Mental Healing, and (under various theories, more 
or less perfect in construction) is popularly spoken of 
as Mind Cure. 

The various schools of Mental Healing are based 
upon practically the same fundamental principles. 
They differ in theory, chiefly because the principles 
being universal in scope, and therefore infinite in 
extent and variety, are beyond full comprehension in 
finite thought — hence they are recognized in various 
degrees of understanding. 

The character of the Principle to be considered is of 
first importance ; the name employed in description of 
the work is important only to the extent that it should 
be accurately descriptive of the nature of the principles 
involved in the healing act. 

The term Metaphysical Healing is derived from the 
English noun Metaphysics. It is employed here be- 
cause Metaphysics is the only word that, in scope, 
covers every form of those activities of life which make 
an act of healing possible to the human mind. It cor- 
rectly describes both the principle and its action, and 
accurately names the theory on which the healing 
power is based. The following are standard definitions 
of the word : 

" Metaphysics is the science of Being." "The 
science of the conceptions and relations which are 



i6 



necessarily implied to be true of every kind of 
Being — philosophy in general; the science of first 
principles." 

" Metaphysics is the science of the first principles 
of Being ; the science of the first principles of knowl- 
edge, and the science of the beginning and the end of all 
things — the absolute unity of Being and Thought."* 

" Metaphysics is the science which deals with the 
principles which are presupposed in all Being and 
Knowing." 

" The beginnings of Science and of Metaphysics are 
identical; although there is a sense in which Meta- 
physics comes before the Scientific era."f 

Metaphysics is mathematical, therefore exact; 
knowledge of its principles is, necessarily, scientific 
understanding. Mathematics, also, is metaphysical, 
and underlies all real law in the universe. DeQuincey 
says : " Mathematics has not a foot to stand upon 
which is not purely metaphysical." "All parts of 
knowledge have their origin in Metaphysics and finally, 
perhaps, revolve into it." 

Knowledge of Being, in any of its forms, is strictly 
metaphysical, also mathematical, in its nature. Con- 
scious understanding of any definite law of life is 
knowledge of that part of Being; for every real Law 

* Aristotle . + Encyclopaedia Britannica. 



and every true Principle is an active, living part of 
Being itself. The Principle is the living entity, 
while the corresponding Law is its expression. 
Through the activity, of Law the energy of Prin- 
ciple is manifested : healthy, living action is the 
natural result. 

There are no new laws of Being ; there is only 
discovery of law by those to whom that subject is 
new. If the theory advanced be rightly founded 
upon first principles, it is a part of the one Science 
of Being and accurately deals with the correspond- 
ing laws: for Science is only a concise name for 
knowledge of law, and Being means living, essential 
principle. 

Every metaphysical principle has some direct 
bearing upon the activities of life, thereby affecting 
the health of the human race. A theory of healing 
established upon these principles must be metaphysical 
in character; therefore, the application of acquired 
knowledge of principles and laws of life to the act 
of healing becomes a " special metaphysics," accurately 
described by the term Metaphysical Healing. 

The Method of metaphysical healing is based 
upon the laws which govern the intelligent side of 
human nature. In various decrees of activity this 
includes the intellectual, thinking and reasoning 



i8 



faculties of mind, the intuitive faculties of the soul, 
and the perceptive faculties of the spiritual nature. 

The Philosophy of metaphysical healing deals 
with the elements and activities of human nature 
on all planes of existence, beginning with sense- 
evidence and leading up through intellectual com- 
prehension, logical reasoning and the intuition of the 
soul to pure spiritual perception of the fundamental 
principles of Being. The universal information 
thereby gained develops an understanding of human- 
ity in all phases of life. This is essential to a 
knowledge of how to remedy the ills that flesh has 
been supposed to be heir to, but which proceed mostly 
from man's misunderstanding of his own nature. 

This line of investigation, properly pursued, will 
give a clear knowledge in detail of the principal 
activities of the physical body, of the relation existing 
between mind and body, including the action of the 
individual mind both upon its own body and upon 
other minds, and of Mental Activities on the moral 
plane, so far as may be necessary in order that a 
healthy state of both body and mind may be estab- 
lished in natural harmony. This prepares a right 
foundation for the still higher development of those 
faculties of the spiritual nature of every individual, 
which frequently lie almost dormant underneath the 



accumulation of materialistic opinions of an opposite 
character. 

Investigation of Mental Activities has been con- 
ducted with quite as thorough and painstaking 
earnestness as the physician employs in examination 
of the physical structure, or as the scientist in any 
material line devotes to his particular subject. By 
this means fresh acts are constantly brought to the 
surface and the knowledge becomes extended. 

The practical theory of Metaphysical Healing may 
be stated as follows : Proceeding naturally from the 
Fundamental Principles of Being, there are definite 
Universal Laws of mental activity through which the 
movements of physical bodies are always regulated. 
These laws are fundamental to all modes of physical 
action and to life on any objective plane. 

Mind — the intelligent, thinking and reasoning 
Individual — is a living entity organized upon these 
principles and laws, in accordance with which it acts 
and reacts in thought and perception, outwardly and 
inwardly, in unison with the Fundamental Principles 
of the universe. By individual compliance with these 
laws, results in harmonious and healthy action are 
outwardly expressed through natural law on the 
physical body, as well as on the minds of others 
who enter the same field of activity. 



Through intelligent understanding, these laws are 
accessible and, if understood, the influence will be 
correct, producing results which must be harmonious 
and healthy. If not understood, wrong action is 
probable, and correspondingly discordant results in the 
life of that individual are absolutely certain, regard- 
less of intention; because, mental action contrary to 
the laws of universal life, whether it be intentional 
or accidental, conscious or otherwise, is not in har- 
mony with the mathematical exactness of funda- 
mental principles, therefore is discordant in character, 
producing outward results of distress, which vary 
in intensity with the degree of departure from 
exact law. 

These results may be attributed to various exter- 
nal agencies, but really they are the natural outcome 
of mental action maintained in erroneous channels. 
The only right remedy is a change in the course of 
the mental action involved. Power to effect this 
change for another rests solely in knowledge of the 
fundamental Principles of Being and their working 
laws. Comprehension of these facts leads to the fol- 
lowing reply to our opening questions: 

1st. What is Metaphysical Healing? 

Metaphysical Healing is a mental method of 
establishing health through knowledge of the prin- 



ciples of Metaphysics. The principles of Metaphysics 
are the permanent laws of the universe, therefore 
they are the underlying laws of human existence. 

2d. In what sense is it metaphysical? 

It is metaphysical in the sense that every step in 
its practice is taken in exact accordance with some 
definite fundamental principle of the living activities 
of Being. Being is the active, conscious reality of 
the universe. 

3d. What knowledge is the basis of the theory ? 

The theory is based upon knowledge of those 
Laws which are fundamental to human life, and which 
in repeated tests prove to be the same for all indi- 
viduals, varying only in degree of intensity, never 
failing or becoming inoperative while life remains. 

4th. What benefits are likely to result from an 
understanding of the principles involved in Meta- 
physical Healing? 

(a.) Through knowledge of the various activities 
of conscious life, gained by a full understanding of 
the .philosophy of Metaphysical Healing, it is pos- 
sible to learn the underlying cause of any form or 
degree of sickness — mental, moral or physical. By 
the natural force of properly directed Thought- 
energy, this cause may be removed without the 
agency of opiate, stimulant or any injurious process. 



With such assistance, those who are sick from any 
cause may be restored to health and natural dura- 
tion of life by a return to the harmony of the 
natural action of both body and mind, provided that 
a cure is still possible in that case by any means. 
Experience proves that myriads of cases here- 
tofore considered incurable may be permanently 
cured by means of metaphysical understanding of 
the facts of life's experience, when dealt with by 
an understanding mind, under suitable conditions 
for natural restoration. 

Discords known as physical diseases have their 
origin in mal-action of some of the natural func- 
tions of the system, which in turn are under 
direct control of the mental mechanism. By estab- 
lishing correct mental activity, the wrong action 
is changed to a right one in both the mental 
and the physical organisms, and the disease is 
undermined. 

(b.) New energy and activity enter with the 
understanding of causes and reasons, and moral ten- 
dencies are quickened. Both mental and spiritual 
faculties become more active, and natural abilities 
are correspondingly increased in power for action. 
This develops the best qualities possible to that 
individual mind. 



Parents, guardians, nurses, and all who have 
charge of the education of children and the care of 
invalids or others, find the understanding of Natural 
Law to be the most efficient help in management. 
Those in possession of such knowledge, properly- 
applied, attain a degree of success' that is otherwise 
impossible. 

(c.) The intemperate, who wish to reform and 
who will, to a reasonable extent, co-operate with 
the metaphysician, are assisted in the most effective 
way by removal of the original cause of the desire 
for a stimulant, after which the unnatural appetite 
vanishes and the sufferer recovers his normal condi- 
tion of health and happiness. Metaphysical Healing 
will soon be known as the real remedy for the 
hitherto unconquerable malady, Intemperance, because 
it strikes at the root of the evil, which has been 
discovered in no other philosophy. 

5th. Has Metaphysical Healing any foundation in 
Science, Philosophy, Logic or Eeason? 

(a.) Science. The word Science literally means 
knowledge of fundamental law. The foundation of 
Metaphysical Healing rests upon Science, because it 
is based on theoretical knowledge of principles, and 
the healing theory is constructed on definite under- 
standing of the active laws which proceed from 



those principles. No feature of any theory is 
accepted as final until it has been proved and dem- 
onstrated, without possibility of disproof and with- 
out an instance of failure, when it can be applied 
under the exact conditions which are necessary for 
a fair test of any scientific problem. It is, of course, 
equally important that the test should be conducted 
by one capable of examining with scientific compre- 
hension. 

(b.) Logic. Metaphysical Healing is logical in 
character, because the action is a process of thought, 
in " classification, judgment, pure reasoning and sys- 
tematic arrangement of ideas," bearing upon those 
laws and principles of life which relate to health, 
considered in their direct bearing upon a given case. 
A correct treatment is a pure, formal process of 
thought based upon comprehension of the principles 
involved in the condition requiring to be changed. 

" Pure logic is the true form or formal laws of 
thinking; applied logic teaches the application of 
the forms of thinking to those objects about which 
we think." In metaphysical practice, applied logic 
is employed while dealing with Ideas and forming 
thought processes to produce healthy results. 

(c.) Reason. Logical reasoning leads the mind 
upward through intellectual process to the higher 



planes of activity, where principles are comprehended. 
The conclusive act of pure metaphysical treatment 
is a clear comprehension of the Principles of Life 
involved in the case under treatment. 

(d.) Philosophy. Metaphysical Healing is a phi- 
losophy of existence, because it deals with the phe- 
nomena of life as explained by and resolved into 
" causes and reasons, powers and laws," with regard 
to both sickness and health, showing the active 
causes of sickness, teaching the fundamental laws of 
health, and explaining the reason for each action in 
life. The true metaphysician makes a constant study 
of these Laws and bases his calculations on their 
rules, logically reasoning from one to the other, 
until the Fundamental Principles are reached and 
comprehended. 

Philosophy has been denned as " The science of 
effects by their causes." Metaphysical Healing con- 
siders every sickness to be an effect, mathematically 
determines the cause which rests in the original 
wrong mental action, accidental or otherwise; oblit- 
erates it by causing that action to cease, and estab- 
lishes a mental action of an opposite character in the 
place thereof. In this way sickness is replaced by health, 
on the mental plane, from which it was originally 
reflected and re-enacted in the physical mechanism. 



" Philosophy is the science of things deduced 
from first principles." In metaphysical diagnostica- 
tion for causes of evident effects, one deals through 
reason, with the fundamental principles of the life- 
activities of the patient. Through this process the 
real seat of the trouble is reached and a final con- 
clusion arrived at, which, if rightly followed out, will 
result in permanent eradication of the harmful effect 
on both the mental and the physical planes. The 
line of logical reasoning and comprehension of prin- 
ciples which renders this act possible must eventu- 
ally result in a Philosophy of Life and a Science of 
Healing, alike logical, reasonable, certain, safe, and 
universal in application. 

6th. Is the theory and working power of Meta- 
physical Healing capable of scientific demonstration? 

The theory of Metaphysical Healing is based upon 
eternal principles of Truth — actual verities : not material 
but spiritual in essence ; therefore they must be spirit- 
ually examined. The practical field of operation for 
such examination can be reached only through intel- 
lectual comprehension of the facts of Law, which leads 
eventually to direct perception of Principles, on the 
plane of real consciousness above that of physical 
sensation. Here the details of theory may be exam- 
ined as directly as can any object on the physical 



2 7 

plane, and thus may be actually known, though di- 
rectly provable only to one who has recognized and 
learned to use the instruments required for spiritual 
manipulation of principles. 

The working power of Metaphysical Healing can 
neither be pulverized in a mortar, applied as a poul- 
tice, nor hypodermically injected; it cannot be 
swallowed, handled or microscopically examined ; yet 
it proceeds from a true theory, possessing exact 
proportions, capable of precise delineation in meta- 
physical terms to those who are suitably prepared 
to examine principles on their own ground. 

The theory is outwardly demonstrated, and the 
existence of its principles made known to the world 
through power of action upon the human mind, and 
to those who require sense-evidence, more especially 
in its power for healing physical ailments. In this 
field of action the physical change of tissue that will 
follow rightly directed mental effort, gives ocular 
demonstration of possible physical results from meta- 
physical action. 

It is possible to so examine this process as to 
eliminate every possibility of an external reason for 
the resultant changes, and to repeat the process in 
successive experiments until the fact that physical 
change can be produced through mental action, 



unaided, is proved as absolutely as the well-known 
fact that oxygen and hydrogen, combined on a defi- 
nite base of mathematical principle, will produce 
water, although neither of the fundamental elements 
when examined separately bears the least seeming 
relation to water. 

The universal importance of Mathematical Prin- 
ciple in the construction and continuance of the Uni- 
verse is demonstrated in the fact that the relation 
of water to oxygen and hydrogen does not exist 
under any other condition than the definite mathe- 
matical formula H 2 0. The least variation from 
this exact proportion renders the formula inopera- 
tive. This is equally true of every physical element 
— even of the material universe itself. Mathematical 
Principle is the vital essence of every constructed 
thing and of every element. 

The knowledge gained by adequate examination 
of the laws of mental action is equally scientific 
with the knowledge of chemical laws, the cause for 
the action of which no chemist can explain, though 
the action and its accompanying force are known to 
exist. Not only is the working power of Metaphysical 
Healing thereby proved, but the truth of the theory 
from which definite power is repeatedly produced, is 
also demonstrated with equal exactness. 



7th. Will the knowledge of Metaphysical Healing 
be of permanent benefit to man? 

That which results in changes at the foundation, 
bringing forward fundamental principles of life and 
causing the individual to conform his actions to 
them, must inevitably result in permanent good; 
because a true idea once aroused in mind can never 
be lost, but remains forever a part of that mind 
which has conceived the eternal fact of its 
living principle, regardless of the immediate act 
of conscious memory. The spiritual essence of 
that Idea has become a part of the living 
substance of that Individuality — this is individual 
development. 

Because erroneous opinions are devoid of funda- 
mental principle, they may be eradicated ; but a true 
Idea once comprehended is forever incorporated in 
the understanding, resulting in permanent devel- 
opment for that individual, which can never be 
overthrown. Comprehension of metaphysical princi- 
ples must result in advancement, which will inevi- 
tably reflect in improved action on the moral, the 
intellectual, and eventually, on the physical plane of 
that individual's life. 

8th. Will harm result from the practice of Meta- 
physical Healing? 



The pure application of metaphysical principles 
can never harm, or result in any but good and 
beneficial acts, because it is based upon and pro- 
ceeds directly from genuine principles of eternal 
truth and perpetual good, which are necessarily pure 
both in character and in the result of their action. 
Darkness can never proceed from light, because it is 
not contained therein. 

One who seems to produce evil effects by act of 
thought is not working with principles, therefore is 
incapable of producing metaphysical results. Prin- 
ciples are the only Verities of the universe; conse- 
quently, he is not dealing with Keality and can pro- 
duce no permanently effective result; indeed, no 
result whatever can be so produced without either 
conscious consent or sub-conscious willingness on the 
part of the recipient to unite in activity which is 
contrary to the nature of principles. "With adequate 
knowledge, each intelligent mind may be its own 
guide, guard and defender in all similar action. 

Thought-action, to be permanent, must be true — 
that is, according to Principles. To be according 
to principles, it must be a clear, conscious apprehen- 
sion of the principles of Reality. Such thought, 
when active in one mind, sends an outward current 
of this realization into the mental atmosphere, 



where it is inhaled or absorbed by others; only good 
influence can proceed from such activity. 

True thought-action leads to Kealization, not to 
Desire. The thinker who yields to evil inclinations 
and aims to harm another, follows self- desire, which 
is devoid of principle, and utterly fails to realize 
any true Idea. In willful selfishness he biindly hopes 
for action contrary to Law; such action would be 
devoid of living principle or essential quality , there- 
fore unreal, inoperative and abortive in the end. 
He willfully desires but fails to realize; therefore, 
he accomplishes nothing real or enduring. 

Lacking Realization, imagination is not an endur- 
ing mental act, therefore not a real thought. Pos- 
sessing realization of principle, it is true, therefore 
real and necessarily good ; for only Eeality can be 
realized in the true sense of the word, and only that 
which is good can possess genuine principle of 
Eeality. The essential quality of reality is good: its 
action necessarily must be good and the result har- 
monious. The good and the true are eternal, and 
may be permanently realized. Evil has no fundamen- 
tal principle of living Reality, and cannot perpetuate 
itself. It possesses no real quality — no eternal essence ; 
its only definite characteristic is its own native noth- 
ingness, and its only existence is in false imagination. 



Discord is deceptive under certain circumstances, 
but unreal; no harm can come from it except to 
him who believes its falsity to be truth ; even then 
the result proceeds from the undemonstrated opinion, 
not from any actual entity, and it only expresses 
the falsity of the opinion. Knowledge of law proves 
a safeguard here, and is a complete protection. 
Wrongly inclined thought can harm no one who 
knows the true laws, and through their exercise 
lives in the principles of harmonious Being. Meta- 
physical thought-action can never result in harm 
under any circumstances. 

All enduring Principle is one eternal whole of 
essential reality. All permanent Law is one per- 
petual harmony of living activity. Every thought 
based upon realization of eternal principle is a real 
and lawful activity, essentially good in its nature. 
It is an active element of pure goodness which, 
when projected by one mind, is capable of being 
seen, heard or felt by others. These in turn become 
its thinkers, and pass it along to those who, through 
ready willingness to learn and know that which is 
true in the universe, are receptive to its harmonious 
influence in endless succession of progressive action, 
just as a pebble falling in a body of water starts a 
rippling circle outward, which, though unperceived 



in its journey, will end only where no water is to 
respond in undulations — where there is no element 
in which its action can be registered. 

Knowledge of metaphysical principles is equally 
important to every member of the human family: 
for the comfort, even the continuance of the physical 
life of each one here, is certain some day to hinge 
upon the understanding of some one or more of the 
universal principles which are common to the life of 
every individual. 

Principles are no respecters of persons, but they 
teem with the goodness of life, which is equally free 
to every living soul as is the light and warmth of 
the noonday sun. Each has but to rightly seek, in 
order to find and be able to lawfully appropriate 
his unlimited share of the inexhaustible supply of 
Universal Reality. 

One living water of good perpetually bubbles 
forth from the eternal fountain of essential reality. 
Realization gives possession. 



CHAPTER II. 

METAPHYSICS versus HYPNOTISM. 

Is Mind Cure Mesmerism ? 

The advent and success of mental methods of 
healing have called attention to the fact that some 
influence other than medical can be beneficially ex- 
erted in sickness, resulting in the conviction that 
mind can act directly upon mind, without the inter- 
vention of the physical senses, Scientific investi- 
gation in various quarters of the globe has forced 
this conclusion, and the existence of an influence, 
at least not purely physical, now must be acknowl- 
edged by those who would recognize the progress 
of the age. 

To some thinkers the theories of mesmerism 
seem to offer the most plausible explanation of the 
various phenomena of mental healing. 

The power of mesmeric influence has been gen- 
erally denied, and its practice condemned, by many 



who were supposed to understand its ground, since 
it was first brought to notice by Mesmer, in Vienna, 
in 1776. Extended experiment has proved, however, 
that power rests in that particular phase of men- 
tal action to a greater extent than has generally 
been admitted. This having been proved, the sub- 
ject demands recognition and a suitable classifica- 
tion among the powers of the human mind. 

The name Mesmerism had fallen into disrepute 
because of general condemnation of the subject and 
the word Hypnotism, with which the public are not 
quite so familiar, appears to have been adopted as 
a new garment for the old subject. Under this name 
the theory that the will of one person may be con- 
trolled by exercise of willful determination on the 
part of another, is rapidly becoming an established 
fact with medical men of all schools, and is now 
considered as possessing some degree of curative 
influence. 

Until the nature and extent of mental action is 
understood, it seems easier to comprehend a mental 
influence which is supposed to be exerted through 
a means which is physical in part, than one attrib- 
uted to a purely mental agency. This may account 
for the frequency with which we hear the question: 
Is Mental Healing Mesmerism or Hypnotism ? 



36 

Occasionally the statement is seen in print over 
the signature of some one claiming authoritative in- 
formation, that mind cure — what there is to it — is 
only a form, or feature of Hypnotism, and that 
eventually it will disappear in that " science." 

No greater mistake can be made than to suppose 
that the active influence of Metaphysical Healing, or 
of any real mental cure, is applied through the 
same modes of action which govern the influence 
now being exercised in hypnotic experiment. Those 
who make this assertion are either incorrectly in- 
formed as to the real nature of mental cure, or 
they are unacquainted with the curative influence of 
metaphysical principles when exerted through the 
action of intelligent understanding; — perhaps, unac- 
quainted with the principles themselves. 

The English word Hypnotism is derived from 
the Greek Z' ttvos, meaning sleep, particularly an ab- 
normal or somnambulistic sleep, seemingly induced 
by external means ; — a state of trance or some de- 
gree of insensibility to surroundings. 

During hypnotic influence the subject surrenders 
his will to that of the operator, who thereupon takes 
possession of the mental mechanism of the submis- 
sive victim and does with it what he chooses, while 
the subject acts according to the will of the other, 



neither knowing what he does nor caring for results. 
This is the brutal control of one personality by 
another, without either moral element or agency. 
The action takes place entirely upon the lowest 
mental plane, that of the animal will — the brute 
plane of human life, where animal tendencies pre- 
vail. Its resultant action is a downward moral ten- 
dency for both subject and operator ; neither can 
tell where the tendency will cease. 

The Hypnotic Subject unconditionally surrenders 
his personality to the dictates of another, ceases to 
exercise his own faculties, and is temporarily with- 
out will, determination, moral or physical sensibility, 
choice, desire or power for independent action in 
any direction whatever. The operator acts through 
the mental mechanism of the subject, exercising con- 
trol over the physical mechanism also, by the action 
of animal will. If the subject yields to this influ- 
ence, he for the time being becomes practically non- 
existent except as the operator permits him to exist 
in imitative act. 

Will is here falsely placed above Intelligence — a 
position which cannot be permanently maintained. 
The force exerted is limited in action to the extent 
of animal will, which possesses much less power 
than is usually supposed. The limit of the animal 



33 

will is reached before that of any other of the 
mental faculties. 

The moral side of this question will not be dis- 
cussed here, further than to suggest that there is 
moral degradation in the unconditional surrender of 
one personality to the willful control of another at 
any time, in any manner or under any circumstances; 
and no rightly-informed person, unless he is to some 
extent morally degraded, would consent to deprive 
another of independent action for any other purpose 
than to save life or to do some great good not to 
to be performed in any other way. 

In metaphysical treatment, however, an influence 
of an entirely different character is brought to bear 
upon the subject. No willful control of the patient 
occurs at any time or under any circumstances. If 
personal control, or self-w T ill power, is exerted, the 
act is unmet aphysical, and the operator not a true 
metaphysician. 

The patient is left at all times in the utmost 
freedom of possession of all his mental faculties; 
indeed, this freedom is always cultivated as the most 
desirable condition for effective mental treatment. 

Metaphysical treatment is based upon the Intelli- 
gence instead of the "Will. Intelligence is considered 
of first importance, because it is a higher faculty 



than Will, purer in character and more powerful in 
action. Even on the highest plane of spiritual action, 
where the higher element of divine will in man's con- 
stitution is the instrument of action, the will is 
entirely subservient to Intelligence. 

Metaphysics appeals to spiritual faculty rather 
than to animal impulse. It speaks through intel- 
ligent understanding of the principles of Being, to 
the spiritual intelligence of the human soul, present- 
ing to that Intelligent Individual the facts of his 
own existence for super-conscious consideration, and on 
them he may or may not act receptively, as he intel- 
ligently decides for himself. In this manner Meta- 
physics instructs, and metaphysical healing guides 
the wanderer out of the path in which he suffers, 
into a higher path of understanding, leaving the will 
free and untrammeled that it may develop to higher 
degrees of intelligent activity. 

Truths are presented mentally which the indi- 
vidual may receive or reject with perfect freedom; 
an attempt to force him into undesired paths would 
render the act abortive, because Intelligence never 
forces except through the shedding of Light, and 
light brightens, rather than beclouds the intellect — 
it quickens, but never stupefies either faculty 
or function. Metaphysical influence elevates both 



intellectually and morally; it can never by any pos- 
sibility degrade. 

No good result can be produced through hypnotic 
control, even under the most favorable circumstances, 
which cannot be produced with greater benefit 
through an adequate knowledge of Metaphysics, and 
without the dangerous features, both moral and 
physical, that invariably attend the surrender of will 
and conscious intelligence. 

Comparison of Hypnotic and Metaphysical influ- 
ence may be made as follows : Hypnotism is a men- 
tal influence based upon the act of overpowering the 
animal will, which is the lowest degree of mental 
determination, or choice of action, and its power for 
action rests entirely with this one limitation of man's 
mental nature, while Metaphysical Healing is a men- 
tal act based upon ' spiritual intelligence, and covers 
the entire mental and spiritual nature, including the 
element of Divine Will — which is the only real 
element of will. The power proceeds from intel- 
ligent comprehension of the principles of the uni- 
verse; this comprehension includes all true power 
for mental action. 

When the nature of hypnotism is fully under- 
stood, its present feature of a willful control of one 
by another on the self plane will be eliminated, 



and man's real power for mental action will be 
recognized; that power is a loving guidance — by 
means of intelligent understanding — of the element of 
Divine Will which inheres in the real nature of every 
Individual. Then all selfish purpose will disappear 
and the power of hypnotism, now so astonishing, 
will be increased a thousandfold; its present dis- 
agreeable name and character will vanish, and its 
power for good will have merged into the parent 
power — intelligent understanding of the laws of Being 
— rightly named, Metaphysics. When this is accom- 
plished the branch will be justly recognized as an 
active part of the living tree, from which it sprang 
and on which it must depend for further existence. 
The present methods of hypnotism lead downwards, 
and, if continued, must end in disaster to the theories 
and final annihilation. 

Eecent accounts of hypnotic experiments made in 
France mention achievements in the diagnosis of 
difficult cases, in which mental causes of disease 
were discovered by means of awakened memory on the 
part of the subjects, while in hypnotic trance. 
In one instance the subject recounted the details of 
an incident in childhood, which was considered a 
mental cause of her sickness. This cause was ren- 
dered quiescent, for the time being, by stating to her 



while in the trance state, that which the operator 
desired her to believe about the occurrence. This 
was considered necessary and justifiable because of 
the ends to be attained. 

If there were no other way possible of giving 
relief, this might, perhaps, seem justifiable; but, as a 
matter of fact, the result obtained by this means is 
only the most feeble kind of a repetition of that 
which Mental Cure has been doing for many years. 
and has successfully accomplished in thousands of in- 
stances, both as regards the diagnosis and the cure, 
without any interference with perfectly free action of 
will on the part of the patient, without trance or any 
unnatural condition, and entirely independent of any 
hypnotic or mesmeric influence whatever. 

Moreover, metaphysical understanding of the 
principles involved, enables the operator to perma- 
nently efface the troublesome element of fear or men- 
tal emotion which caused the disease, by causing the 
mental image to disintegrate, fade and vanish, while 
consciously speaking the truth in regard to it and 
knowing why the statements are true. This is one 
advantage possessed by the higher branch of the 
healing art. 

In metaphysical diagnostication, similar mental 
causes, often fifty, sixty, seventy or more years past 



in life are brought forward in the memory — some- 
times by questioning, at other times, where conscious 
memory does not work with clearness, by intelligent 
treatment which clears the mental faculties and 
freshens the memory ; and instances are not uncom- 
mon in which they have been discovered psychically, 
without volition or conscious memory on the part of 
either the operator or the patient. 

Metaphysical Healing has several ways of reach- 
ing the mental causes of sickness, any of which is 
better than hypnotic trance, because more natural 
and entirely harmless, while equally effective and 
absolutely permanent, with no possible chance for 
undesirable complications. Metaphysics strikes at 
the root of every harmful mental influence and an- 
nihilates it without danger or injury to any faculty. 

Metaphysics encourages, while Hypnotism sup- 
presses, intelligence on the part of its subject. Because 
of this fact metaphysical healing in every branch 
invariably meets its greatest success with the most 
intelligent people, in the most intellectual and spir- 
itual families ; while business and professional people 
of marked mental ability, strengthened by the power 
of intelligent comprehension of principles, are the most 
susceptible to its healing and restoring influence. 
The greater the degree of intelligence the more 



prompt and effective the response to treatment, and 
restoration to health. 

On the other hand it is notorious that Hypno- 
tism and all external mesmeric influences, find their 
most submissive subjects among the uncultured 
and mentally inactive. The subservient invariably 
prove the best subjects for hypnotic experiment. 
This is because a submissive will is necessary to 
a pliant hypnotic subject, while intelligent mental 
activity is incompatible with willing submission to 
unjust influence. Intellectual power renders one 
rightly independent and unsubmissive to selfish per- 
sonal dictation, under all circumstances and in all 
degrees of consciousness. 

In hypnotic experiment the subject must submit, 
either consciously or sub-consciously, to the willful act 
of the operator, before any appreciable degree of con- 
trol can be exerted. It is because of this fact that 
under experiment so many people prove poor hyp- 
notic subjects. No intelligent individual can be 
hypnotized or mesmerized against his will when 
properly exercised, — or without his own consent. 
This statement holds absolutely true with regard to 
direct influence when the subject is present with the 
operator; in the case of absent influence it will be 
equally true if the subject be naturally independent 



45 

and intellectually active in assertion of his own 
higher will, through knowledge of the laws of real 
being, and alert to recognize influences which it is 
required to counteract. Knowledge is an absolute 
protection; — the hypnotic act is powerless without 
some degree of compliance on the part of the subject. 

In metaphysical treatment appeal is made to 
the Individual Intelligence, and ideas that have been 
proved the facts of universal life are presented for 
intellectual comprehension on the higher plane of 
mentality, where the finest and best of human facul- 
ties are exercised, and where Fundamental Truths will 
be recognized on presentation. On this plane of con- 
sciousness the patient is always within reach of the 
guiding influence of right thoughts in regard to the 
activities of his own life. 

Because of these Principles, metaphysicians, to be 
universally successful, must be honest and conscien- 
tious; rightly, not morbidly sympathetic, possessing 
clear intellectual comprehension of the affairs of 
human life, together with pure understanding of the 
spiritual side of human nature as expressed in the 
Divine Will, the good influence of which man shares 
in common with all Being. 

If we recognize these facts, it is easy to under- 
stand that it is not, as frequently supposed, the 



46 

mentally feeble, the weak, vacillating mortal, the 
imaginative, credulous or cranky specimen of human- 
ity, — neither is it necessarily the inexperienced, the 
unsophisticated, the ignorant, or the least important 
member of the human family that is the most suscep- 
tible to the influence of metaphysical healing, but 
quite the reverse. 

Metaphysics appeals most powerfully to the 
greatest minds, building an adamantine tower of 
understanding on a rock foundation of fact; while 
Hypnotism, even in the highest acts of its present 
aspect is, comparatively, but the plaything of chil- 
dren in the sand. A dangerous plaything, at that — 
a two-edged tool, dagger-pointed at either end. 
Principles rule activities. Eight eventually prevails. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE POTENCY OF METAPHYSICS IN 
SURGERY. 

Does Mental Healing Claim to Replace Surgery? 

The relation of the subject of Metaphysical Heal- 
ing to the practice of surgery in regard to its pos- 
sible efficiency in cases of physical injury, is a ques- 
tion which frequently arises. The most common 
opinion is that in cases of a physical nature, mental 
influence must be inoperative, because it is not sup- 
posed either that mind was in any way involved in the 
affair that caused the injury, or that it can have any 
influence on the present physical condition. Some 
entirely erroneous opinions on this subject are fre- 
quently expressed by those who have not been cor- 
rectly informed either with regard to the scope of 
mental action, or the position in which metaphysicians 
stand on the question. 

The opinion seems to be somewhat prevalent 
that to affirm a mental cure is to proclaim a miracle. 



4 8 

This thought sometimes leads to the conclusion that 
if the professor is sincere, he must consider himself 
the possessor of miraculous powers, and it is inferred 
that he will claim the ability to perform impossible 
acts, regardless of natural law. 

Direct questions repeatedly asked, by people of ap- 
parent intelligence, show that the following absurdities 
are supposed to be entertained by mental healers: 

1. If the bone of a limb be fractured, one has 
only to think it is all right and he can walk or ex- 
ercise the limb and recover without setting the bone. 

2. If one chooses he can with impunity drink his 
coffee with arsenic instead of sugar, nourishing, mean- 
while, on the unnatural diet. 

3. If an eye be destroyed he has but to assert 
that he sees just as well without it as with it, and 
another eye will grow in the socket. 

4. If the carotid artery be severed, thinking 
will stop the hemorrhage and restore the original 
condition. 

5. If one only thinks so, he can lift a four-story 
house as easily as he can lift an orange. 

6. The dead may be restored to this life, regard- 
less of the condition of the body. 

7. If mind controls the body, one may continue 
in the present existence forever. 



49 

Those who hold these absurdities usually entertain 
some such notion as that food, drink, air and sleep 
should be unnecessary to one who has the power to 
heal through thought, and if he should sneeze, cough, 
yawn, rest, exercise or enjoy himself in any natural 
way, he thereby proves himself to be an impostor. 

These and kindred absurdities are based upon the 
one assumption that ability to perform miracles is 
postulated of the power to heal through act of mind. 
This notion is without foundation either in reliable 
metaphysical instruction or practice ; the claim never 
proceeds from a metaphysical mind. 

No class of thinkers have a deeper appreciation 
of the importance of natural law in human experi- 
ence than rightly trained metaphysicians, whose entire 
study is of law and principle. 

What might be done through sufficient infor- 
mation with regard to all the higher principles of 
the universe, is not the most important question 
for immediate consideration, but rather, what may 
be accomplished here .and now, through accessible 
knowledge of universal laws. This is the problem 
which metaphysicians are called upon to solve for the 
immediate good of suffering humanity. When this has 
been accomplished, and the knowledge concentrated for 
effective action, higher dgrees of understanding may 



properly be aspired to, and will then be compre- 
hended; but, he who leaps for the top round of the 
ladder first is apt, in falling short, to become tangled 
among the rungs nearer the ground which were at 
first ignored, but would better have been used as a 
foundation for sure climbing. 

Everything that actually takes place under any 
circumstances is proved natural by the fact that it does 
take place, and it prevails only because of the exist- 
ence of perfectly natural laws of that kind and 
quality. The investigator who neglects study of those 
laws will fail in every trying position. 

If an act seems to be supernatural, it is only 
because this is the observer's first conscious experience 
with the law involved; when he becomes acquainted 
with its modes of action, its seemingly supernatural 
character will vanish, and it will receive suitable 
classification with nature's legitimate transactions. 

There are no miracles ; — the word is a misnomer. 
That which occurs in lines of action beyond present 
comprehension of natural law, has been called a 
miraculous act, and supposed to have been performed 
without regard to either universal laws or principles. 

Any act, however simple, seems a miracle until 
accounted for by natural lav/ ; that instant its 
miraculous character vanishes. Our electric light 



would seem supernatural to an inhabitant of darkest 
Africa, unacquainted with the laws of electricity; 
yet to us it is a simple fact, easily accounted for on 
a natural plane of lawful activity. 

If it be proved that an entirely new kind of power 
has been recently exerted, producing action hitherto 
unaccounted for, therefore impossible by any known 
law of activity, then the very fact that it has 
occurred at once establishes this mode of action 
as one of the existing laws of the universe, not 
previously recognized, perhaps, but a law neverthe- 
less, else it could not have been in action. 

If we say this is not law, but a special act per- 
formed without dependence upon, and contrary to 
law, we thereby postulate a lawless operator, destitute 
of principle, and in the ultimate, devoid of Being; 
because if there is no law in an action there is no 
principle behind it, and if no principle no Being; 
for Being is the Essential Principle of the universe 
and of everything in it. Without principle, neither 
Being, nor act of Being, is conceivable, in the light 
of the true meaning of both terms. 

Continued investigation invariably demonstrates 
the natural character of every divine act. When 
the thinker masters the details of that species of 
activity, with the mechanism sufficient for its 



manipulation, he has at his own command the once 
miraculous power. Thus that which yesterday was 
considered miraculous or supernatural, is to-day per- 
fectly natural and may be lucidly explained — while 
that which to-day still seems a miracle, to-morrow 
perhaps, will be recognized as the simplest of nature's 
playful acts. 

Knowledge of the laws of Being shows all pos- 
sible action to be natural, because it proceeds from 
the laws themselves ; therefore no power whatever 
can be exerted by any intelligence, save through the 
action of some -law, in expression of the quality of 
some one of the Principles of Being. 

The real part of every Entity is its Principle. 
Only this can act at any time or for any purpose. 
A principle can act only by expressing its Quality, 
and this in turn can be accomplished only through 
the Law which exists for that purpose; therefore all 
expression of the quality of any principle must be, 
and invariably is, natural lawful action. With ade- 
quate comprehension of the principles involved, the 
true character of the act will be recognized. 

The fact is, that Nature — Universal Mind — has 
yet in store myriads of modes of natural action and 
innumerable degrees of power, with which the human 
individual is as yet unacquainted. Man has been 



gradually learning these ways and the laws thereof, 
from, the beginning. At every period he has con- 
sidered all visible action that was beyond his com- 
prehension, as the result of miraculous intervention 
in a supernatural manner on the part of some 
superhuman being. This is the history of the growth 
of human comprehension in all ages and among all 
classes. 

Many laws of action in the universe, that were 
formerly unknown, are now understood; consequently, 
many acts have become possible to the human mind 
that were impossible before the acquirement of thab 
knowledge. Mental healing is one of the advanced 
degrees of power that has developed from this 
understanding — the Knowledge and the Power go 
hand in hand. The same laws are involved in all 
conditions, both mental and physical, though the 
details of action are different. 

The knowledge which gives power to heal dis- 
eased conditions, also makes it possible to relieve all 
unnatural conditions. In surgical cases distinct 
results may be produced by the removal of mental dis- 
tress, fear, anxiety, worry, grief, pain and every de- 
gree of agitation, all of which are obstructions to 
nature's restorative processes and help to delay recov- 
ery. By no means the least of these results is the 



power to remove the particular impression of fear, 
fright, and mental or nervous shock which was pro- 
duced at the time of the accident, and which frequently 
delays recovery because it continues active sub- 
consciously in the mind of the patient, regardless of 
memory. 

Mental assistance in quieting fear is legitimate 
metaphysical work, which is in some degree valuable 
in every surgical case. Mental Healing readily 
accomplishes this result, frees the mind of agitation 
and restores natural action in every part of the 
system, by removing mental obstructions to recovery, 
thereby rendering to nature the only advantageous 
assistance possible. 

Under right mental conditions bones knit more 
rapidly and firmly, flesh heals in a fraction of the 
time usually claimed to be necessary, and scars are 
less prominent because of rapid natural activity 
during the healing process. Fever is reduced or 
avoided in both pulse and temperature, and suppura- 
tion is reduced to the minimum of natural restorative 
process. Liability to blood poisoning is also lessened; 
in fact, it is an unheard of complication, when pure 
metaphysical influence can be exerted unobstructed, 
because all the forces of natural mental control of 
every minute part, organ and function of the human 



system, are brought to bear, through the patient's 
own mind, in super- conscious action, to remove every 
obstruction, establish healthy action, and build new 
tissue with perfect atoms and healthy molecules of 
material. 

Through the influence of mental treatment based 
upon a correct understanding of metaphysical prin- 
ciples, natural sleep is readily established, while appe- 
tite, digestion and assimilation are invariably better 
than under the influence of drug medication. The 
sensation of pain is always kept at the lowest degree 
possible; frequently, even in severe cases, it is en- 
tirely removed and avoided. Under favorable circum- 
stances the ultimate of these results may be produced. 
They are not in any sense miraculous, but are 
perfectly natural results of mental action established 
through clear understanding of the laws of life. 

It is not yet within the scope of mental action 
to set a broken bone of important size, which is so 
far displaced that mechanical appliance is necessary 
for support. In such event, a competent surgeon is 
required to properly reduce the fracture, and to splint 
and ligate, so that the bones cannot leave their 
natural position; otherwise nature has no power to 
repair the injury. This work is purely mechanical 
and absolutely necessary. In similar cases severe 



56 

physical injury to tissue may require the same aid. 
The muscular system, however, is more directly under 
control of mental action, and many surprising results 
in changing muscular conditions are readily produced 
by thought influences. 

The surgeon has the mechanical knowledge re- 
quired to properly set the bones, cleanse, ligate, stitch, 
secure and make outwardly comfortable the injured 
parts, and to see that suitable cleansing and mechan- 
ical repairing are properly attended to until recov- 
ery, but that is the extent of his field of action. 
He cannot direct the placing of a single atom in 
reconstruction — he can only make the patient fairly 
comfortable and wait for Nature to do the rest. 

Now the Nature which, restores tissue is Univer- 
sal Mind in super-conscious activity; her laws are 
the laws of mind and her methods are mental 
actions. Through his knowledge of these methods 
and laws, so far as yet acquired, the rightly educated 
metaphysician readily reaches the case, removes ob- 
structions, and assists in establishing natural action. 
No human power can do more, or do it in any better 
way. The only advancement possible lies in the 
increase of knowledge, and metaphysicians are labor- 
ing earnestly to add to the present store of infor- 
mation. 



Nature's ways are the ways of life, health, 
strength, comfort and happiness. The active force of 
Nature is the Universal Mind, which is always alive 
and always strong in the activity of Spirit. Spirit- 
ual Intelligence is the active principle of every 
individual mind. 

The Soul of the universe is one magnificent unit 
of essential principle. The Life of the universe is 
one grand whole of active law. By exercise of the 
divine faculty of intelligent comprehension, each in- 
dividual may share all the innate good of both these 
universal realities. 

To some it seems easier to accept the opinions of 
others than to directly investigate facts. Indolence 
fosters ignorance ; ignorance begets superstition ; 
superstition stultifies every comprehensive faculty, and 
man thereby becomes a mere machine, moving only 
when some outer agency works the treadle. In this 
position he is a fit subject for the miracle theory, 
which seems little better than an attempt to evade the 
fact that nature is continually pushing fresh facts and 
deeper truths before the human intellect for recog- 
nition. These facts must be freely investigated by 
each individual or he is sure to be overwhelmed by 
the continual accumulation of evidences of the infinite 
and eternal activities of the universe. 



58 

The elation of self-satisfied opinion proves a 
stumbling-block to many an otherwise brilliant intel- 
lect, and the circle of self-limitation, which some 
draw in space, temporarily closes the door of the 
soul to the most limpid truths of the universe. No 
greater mistake than this could possibly be made. 

There is no one so learned that he need know 
no more — none so wise that he cannot be advan- 
tageously instructed. There is no man whose great- 
ness may inclose the universe, and none so powerful 
but that a lack of understanding of some ever-active 
fundamental law of his own being may trip him in 
the midst of his triumph. There is space beyond 
every boundary line, and all space is occupied by 
something real and true. The principle of Truth is 
ubiquitous. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE PROGRESS OF THE AGE. 

Universal Ether and Telepathy. 

This nineteenth century is a period of marvelous 
unfoldment for the human race. Its onward move- 
ment in mechanical improvements and mathematical 
acquirements, is a magnificent example of the achieve- 
ments which are possible to the human intellect. 
The limit of improvement in mechanical invention 
has not yet been reached, however, in any field of 
discovery, and soil both new and fruitful will be 
turned for centuries to come. Neither has the indi- 
vidual mind yet reached its limit of comprehension 
in spiritual matters : vastly greater strides in mental 
development are yet to be made during this century. 

The extraordinary progress now being made may, 
perhaps, be considered as a culmination of all the 
enlightened acquirements of the past centuries, in 



preparation for a grand effulgence of illumination on 
the intellectual and spiritual side of human nature 
during the twentieth century, when progressive 
changes far beyond present comprehension are in store 
for the race. If this be doubted, we should remember 
that our immediate ancestors confidently declared 
impossible, improvements which are to-day the easy 
achievements of even a novice, and which any intelli- 
gent child now recognizes as established facts. 

On the physical plane, this progress is perhaps 
best illustrated by the changes, with constant increase 
of power and efficiency, in methods of artificial 
lighting — from the dismal, smoky pine-knot of earlier 
centuries to the brilliant electric light of to-day. 
The progress made during the last three decades 
has developed for common use lights so many times 
more powerful than any dreamed of in our child- 
hood, that even predictions of their possibility would 
have been derided as the vaporings of a visionary. 
But electricity as a medium for lighting is now an 
established fact, and will soon supersede all other 
methods of lighting, increasing in efficiency, and 
preparing the way to a still higher, purer and more 
effective light in the near future. For the end is 
not yet; the next step in this direction will be one 
in which light manv times more effective will be 



6 1 



produced without sensible combustion, and machines 
many times more powerful, because more simple in 
construction, will run without fuel, while waste, 
noise or danger, to any such degree as now prevails, 
will be considered barbarous. 

One interesting feature of this subject is especially 
worthy of notice. Every step forward in the develop- 
ment of artificial lighting has been a step up and 
away from a . considerable proportion of the gross 
material consumed in producing the inferior light. 

The pine-knot, coarse and crude in material, 
burned with much smoke, shedding little light. 

Next came the grease lamp in which fat was 
burned through a common wick; here the material 
used was finer than the pine-knot, yet a better and 
clearer light resulted from its combustion. The tallow 
candle is an example of this method, consuming still 
less crude material and giving a steadier light, 
while spermaceti, more refined, burns brighter than 
tallow. 

Oil lamps, for burning fish and animal oils, came 
next in order, with a similar proportion of increase 
in power and brilliancy of the light, as the crude 
materiality of the medium decreases. Refinement ot 
material gives refinement in result, with correspond- 
ing increase of effectiveness. 



Following these, in natural progression, we find 
the various mineral oils, kerosene, naphtha and their 
numerous preparations, in which the grossness of 
material has largely disappeared, and light many 
times more brilliant results, together Avith the de- 
velopment of powerful explosive qualities. 

The succeeding step is the discovery of illuminat- 
ing gas which is so much finer in substance that to 
three of the five physical senses it is non-existent; 
for it can not be seen, heard or touched, yet the 
volume and brilliancy of its light renders insignificant 
all previous means of lighting. 

Utilization of the light-producing power of elec- 
tricity, however, proves a still greater advancement 
and develops a volume of light, possessing such 
power of penetration, brilliancy, softness and purity 
that we are tempted to exclaim in ecstasy — nov 7 , 
surely, we have reached the ultimate ! But there is 
need of caution lest we fasten ourselves to the 
same stake of limited comprehension based upon 
sense-evidence, which has held others before us in 
bondage. There is no ultimate within human com- 
prehension: there is always a beyond, an above, a 
higher than has yet been reached ; and he who 
would recognize the ever-broadening horizon of 
intelligent comprehension, must always remain with 



open eyes and freedom of thought, ready to perceive 
the first glimmer of the brighter light beyond his 
present vision. Keality is infinite ; the only existing 
limit is that of individual comprehension, and this is 
susceptible of continuous expansion. All perma- 
nent activity is in ever- widening circles, and the 
action of every circle is in the endless progression 
of a continuous expansion, which necessitates per- 
petual development. This is real life. 

All progress in the production of artificial light has 
been up from and out of materiality, and away from 
sense-evidence, until now we have a light that is im- 
measurably greater than any other, produced appar- 
ently from a physical element that cannot be directly 
recognized by the exercise of any of the five physical 
senses. Always — the greatest degree of power is 
generated from the smallest proportion of crude 
material. Why ? 

If molecular matter, which appeals to the phys- 
ical senses, is the only reality of the universe, or even 
more real than its other components, then why is it 
not a fact that the more material the medium for 
combustion, the more powerful and better the light 
produced? Can it be that the less reality there 
is employed the more real will be the result obtained ? 
Or, must we consider light and power unreal ? 



6 4 

The indisputable fact that power increases in 
inverse ratio to the grossness of the material, in 
every power-producing medium, gives rise to the 
suggestion which has been followed out and proved 
true, — that power does not exist in matter itself but 
that it subsists in Intelligence, which is the foundation 
of real substance, and a perpetually active force of 
the universal Spirit Nature, shared by every indi- 
vidual in proportion to his intelligent realization of 
its qualities. 

The less we trust the evidence of the physical 
senses, the less we place dependence upon molecular 
matter, the more receptive we become to the real 
force of Spiritual Essence which pervades all space, 
and the more actual power we realize. This axiom 
has been demonstrated by every important mechanical 
advancement made in any of the sciences and in every 
power-producing medium, from the muscular exertion 
of the animal up through all grades of molecular 
action in water, air and steam to that marvelous 
force, electricity, which in the winking of an eye, 
bores through solid masonry or through- metal plates 
without visible implement or evident means. 

Steam also is invisible ; and, if the inside of a 
steam-chest be examined without admitting atmos- 
phere, at the time when the greatest amount of 



65 

power is concentrated within, an empty chamber 
is all the eye reports. On mingling with the 
atmosphere, steam re-assumes its coarser form, again 
becoming visible as vapor, but in the change its 
power as steam is lost. Water must become invisible 
in order that the greater power, Steam, may be 
developed from it. So material element must become 
intangible that the greatest of physical powers may 
be demonstrated through electrical action. 

Electricity is the lowest degree of the molecular 
motion of the universal element now recognized as 
Ether, an infinitely fine and volatile fluid which 
pervades all the space of the material Universe, 
exactly as the atmosphere permeates all parts of 
this earth. 

In some form or other all the fundamental ele- 
ments of the earth are presented in every substance. 
All possible chemical combinations of elements are 
not embodied in any separate object, but the funda- 
mentals are invariably present in some form. Each 
coarser material is entirely permeated by particles of 
the element next finer in constitution. 

An object which seems to be solid, without 
either particles or interstices, when examined under 
the microscope proves to be all particles and inter- 
stices, without real solidity or continuous substance. 



66 

These interstices may be permeated by any ele- 
ment composed of finer particles. They usually 
are filled with several finer elements, each within 
the other. 

A piece of granite appears solid, while in fact it is 
exceedingly porous. Sufficient pressure will crowd 
it into smaller limits and force water from its pores. 
This is equally true of every solid and liquid con- 
stituent of the earth. 

The water which fills the pores of the stone is 
composed of particles, and the spaces between these 
are occupied with still finer elements of a gaseous 
nature. In this manner air permeates water, the 
two varying in proportion according to temperature 
and local conditions. 

The constituents of the earth are described as 
solids, liquids and gases. Each appears in some 
degree less solid than the next coarser in con- 
struction. Each is composed of particles separated 
by spaces which are filled with finer elements. 
There is, therefore, no empty space, in the literal 
meaning of the term ; because, be the space ever so 
small, there is some element so small, so fine in 
construction, as to find an abiding place within 
its chamber. Neither is there in matter any abso- 
lutely solid substance. Each element is saturated 



6 7 

with every finer substance, all uniting in one volatile 
fluid which perpetually changes, never becoming 
actually fixed in either position or condition. All 
seeming solidity is an illusion of the physical senses. 

For every material substance there are elements 
finer in construction, the particles of which enter 
its interstices, forcing molecules further apart, until 
that element ceases to exist as an aggregation of 
particles or a molecular mass, whereupon it vanishes 
from sight. 

No material substance is sufficiently solid to 
escape this universal interaction which is constantly 
taking place in all bodies and in all elements. 

The diamond is the hardest substance in common 
use; yet, " heated in oxygen gas, it burns to pure 
carbonic acid, which at ordinary pressure and tem- 
perature is a colorless, transparent fluid." This 
change becomes possible only through the power of 
the finer molecules of oxygen gas to enter the inter- 
stices and force apart the particles of carbon which 
constitute the diamond. 

A finer may always be found within the coarser — 
not necessarily embodied in its elemental construc- 
tion, but occupying the spaces not occupied by 
other. The finer element passes unobstructed through 
the coarser substance, as persons pass from room 



68 

to room of a building. A communication may be 
passed through the building, either by a mes- 
senger, or by voice transmitted in atmospheric 
vibrations. In a corresponding manner, communica- 
tion may be established between intelligent beings 
through every physical element, by means of the finer 
vibrations. Knowledge of the nature of that element 
is the only requirement. Its modes of undulation and 
vibration are the physical means of communi- 
cation. 

The recognized solids of the earth are permeated 
with liquids, of which water is the principal con- 
stituent. All liquids are permeated by air, and by 
gases which are of still finer construction, and 
gases are pervaded by finer bodies of their own 
nature. 

Higher chemical experiments show that nothing 
in the material world stands separate, independent 
and alone. This proves a unity of construction, 
even in the most changeable planet of the universe. 
The principle of Unity therein expressed makes 
every portion of the universe an integral part of 
the whole, therefore each part bears some relation to 
every other part. When this relation is understood, 
power to deal w 7 ith related elements is developed, 
which makes the operator master of the situation. 



6 9 

This fact is forcibly demonstrated in chemistry, the 
simplest principles of which reveal a power over the 
elements which astonishes the novice. 

Through the principle of Unity expressed in the 
permeating and intermingling of all the elements of 
the earth, the intelligent mind gains access to every 
part of the planet, unobstructed by element, action 
or distance. The water with which the stone is 
saturated permits transmission through its body of 
vibrations more delicate than could possibly be car- 
ried by the mass of the stone itself. The air con 
tained in a body of water makes undulations pos- 
sible which could not exist in drops devoid of air. 
Certain finer forces which pervade the atmosphere 
render simple and easy the transmission of light in 
vibrations too infinitely fine to travel by means of 
particles or molecules of atmosphere alone. 

Of all the constituents of the earth the atmos- 
phere seems the most nearly universal, for it not 
only surrounds the globe, extending many miles 
into space, but it pervades all the space in and 
between the particles of every object and of every 
element. 

Pure atmosphere is beyond the reach of the sens.s; 
no image of atmosphere can be impressed upon the 
retina of the eye. Objects are seen to move in the 



wind, therefore we infer that air is in motion, but 
the wind cannot be seen. Neither does atmosphere 
appeal directly to the sense of hearing ; the vibrations 
of substances coarser than the atmosphere are trans- 
mitted through it and registered upon the drum of 
the ear, but air itself is not recognized by hearing. 
Nor does it appeal to smell, taste or touch in direct 
action. Varying degrees of the density and propor- 
tion of its gases are recognized in heat and cold, but 
these are only physical changes in its elemental com- 
position. Yet, though it is not directly perceivable 
through sense -action, the atmosphere is a known con- 
stituent of the earth, which takes constant and 
active part in the development and continuance of 
the planet, as well as of every living thing in it. 

Ether is even more pervasive in character and 
activity than atmosphere, and though further be- 
yond the reach of sense-action, still its existence 
can be proved in a number of ways as indisputable 
as those by which the presence of the atmosphere 
is known. Its modes of activity also may be intelli- 
gently studied. Ether is the principal element of 
ail universal objectivity, and the fundamental ele- 
ment of material composition — Matter itself. Ether 
unites all bodies of the universe in one entire whole 
of materiality. 



This universal element permeates everything ma- 
terial, filling all interstices, even between the atoms 
of every molecule, however tiny in size or intricate 
in construction. As the heavings of an earthquake 
are at once transmitted in vibrations of the coarser 
rock-strata of the earth, and heavings of the ledge 
of rock are thence conveyed in undulations through 
the water, while the beating of the waves and 
rushing of the waters might be still further 
transmitted through atmospheric vibrations, and 
then in turn throb through the Ether itself to 
stir the inner recesses of the senses ; so this 
infinitely fine, volatile and elastic element transmits, 
in most delicate rhythm, the finest and most subtle 
movements engendered by the activity of thought 
in the individual mind, throughout the extent of the 
ethereal fluid. And as a vibration established at 
one end of a telegraphic cable is also felt and un- 
derstood all along the line and as far as the metallic 
medium extends, so the rhythmic movements estab- 
lished in the ethereal fluid of the universe will go 
where directed, and may be understood by that 
intelligence which receives the communication. 

This fact is not only the seeming mystery, 
but on the material plane it is the manifestation 
of the Law of Thought-transference t which is now 



attracting the attention of the best thinkers in the 
civilized world. Its scientific name is Telepathy. 

Telepathy is a Universal Law, just as simple in 
operation and as easy to comprehend as those laws with 
which we are more familiar; but being a comparatively 
new idea to modern thinkers it is not so well under- 
stood. This universal Ether is the medium through 
which communication on the material plane always 
has been established in all physical modes of sound, 
sight and feeling, and it is in this almost unexplored 
field of action that man has within the last century 
begun to discover the tremendous power of electricity. 
When the laws which govern Ether are better under- 
stood, electricity will be comparatively a plaything. 

The power of conscious thought is not limited 
in action even to the ethereal plane of activity, but 
reaches beyond to higher planes where those powers 
prevail which govern all material movement. 

In and through, between and around every atom 
of the Universal Ether, filling all so-called space in 
the entire Universe of Universes, is yet another ele- 
ment, as much finer in character, in degree and 
in action than the Ether itself, as this element is 
finer than the rock-strata of the earth; so fine in 
substance and so pure in character that it cannot 
be measured ' with the instruments or comprehended 



by the rules which are employed in even the finest 
material measurements. This is the element of 
Spiritual Substance : Intelligence itself — the active 
principle of the entire Universe — the Soul of the 
Ethereal Universe. Conscious Thought is the only 
Instrument which can be employed in its manifesta- 
tion. With this keen instrument, trained to work in 
the real laws of pure Intelligence, the human soul 
breaks the fetters of sensation and soars unrestrained 
to fields of reality, where Principles and their result- 
ing laws are the only objects of perception. 

Thought is wholly immaterial, yet a thousand 
times more subtle, rapid, clear and powerful in action 
than the highest material element or agency ; for 
Thought is a Spiritual Activity, and when rightly 
controlled through knowledge of its laws, it is an 
agency of, as nearly as may be, unlimited resources. 

Without the power of conscious Thought the most 
brilliant electric light would be but Stygian darkness 
to any individual, and atomic vibrations would have 
no existence. 

Consciousness is a living reality. Divine Con- 
sciousness, in active thought, eternally creates the 
Universe — an actual entity of spiritual substance, 
divine in nature and eternal in duration. Phys- 
ical things are objective projections of particular 



phases of this Thought-activity, and the Material 
Universe is but the sum total of this projection of 
conscious thought. 

If Divine Consciousness could terminate its 
thought the Universe would disappear, because 
the Principles and Qualities of things would have 
ceased to be. 

Conscious, intelligent comprehension of Principle 
illumines every depth and banishes every doubt. 



CHAPTER V. 

INTELLIGENCE AND SENSATION. 

The Office of the Senses. 

Spiritual Intelligence is the active force of the 
Universe. It is projected in Thought-activity, reflected 
in the atomic action of Ether, inverted in the molec- 
ular dispersion of (rases, and fully materialized in 
crude matter recognizable through sense-evidence. 

The vital activity of every individual is a living, 
spiritual essence of real Being — an element of pure in- 
telligence, capable of thinking and knowing. Through 
certain modes of reflected action, the physical pro- 
ceeds from, and is governed by, spiritual activities ; 
therefore, knowledge of the spiritual side of human 
nature gives a comprehensive understanding of the 
physical also, while knowledge based entirely upon 
physical evidence is confined to that plane alone for 
action, and gives information only by self -limited 
sense-evidence. 



7 6 

The action of the physical senses is gauged 
entirely for the material plane of life and they 
report only the physical phenomena which they are 
fitted to measure, leaving the investigator destitute 
of understanding of that real part of all nature 
which is' above and beyond their realm, and out 
of reach of their powers. 

The evidence of the physical senses is relative 
only, and cannot be relied upon for accurate report 
on any subject; their natural office is to report the 
presence of the manifold forms of physical phenom- 
ena which successively result from the varieties of 
motion prevalent among universal activities. Be- 
yond this they are inoperative. 

No one can think solely through exercise of any 
of the five senses. With these instruments evidence 
of the presence of physical' things can be gained in 
varying degrees of intensity, but Ideas pass unrecog- 
nized. Power to think intelligently on a given 
subject depends upon recognition of the principles 
involved in the Ideas upon which, that subject is 
founded. Even the power to " sense " the presence 
of an object depends upon some degree of such recog- 
nition; because sensation depends upon Consciousness 
and the activities of consciousness are expressed 
through thought. Without comprehension of Prin- 



ciples there can be no definite thought-action, and 
without thought there is no sensation. Without sen- 
sation the object would pass unrecognized. 

Sensation means recognition of the presence of 
material objects; its common name is Feeling. On 
the physical plane the sense of Feeling has five 
outward modes of action, namely : Hearing — which is 
feeling the vibrations of the atmosphere; Seeing — 
which is feeling the ethereal vibrations of light; 
Smelling and Tasting — which are modes of feeling the 
molecular vibrations spoken of as flavors and odors; 
and Touching, commonly recognized as Feeling, which 
is a consciousness of resistance of objects or elements. 

While exercising sense faculties, physical phenom- 
ena are recognized. In right process of thought it 
is known that these appear before us only because of 
the existence of the eternal Principles of Reality, 
which subsist back of all phenomena. This knowledge 
enables man to reason calmly back from physical 
phenomena to the underlying metaphysical facts, 
where he gains a substantial foothold in the under- 
standing of principles which are above sensations. 
Without these principles, always subsisting in the 
spiritual realm, there could not possibly be any sen- 
sation of any kind, degree or quality. It is because 
of the absolute and perpetual necessity for the 



presence of these Subsisting Principles, that a knowl- 
edge of them becomes essential to progress. 

Principles underlie all Objective Things; — " Quali- 
ties are the only real parts of things." If an object 
lose its qualities, only a lifeless shell remains, which 
must speedily disintegrate ; because each quality is a 
direct expression of the Principle on which that 
thing was constructed. Mathematical character is 
the form of its existence, while the active principle 
of the object is the spirit of its being. With- 
out quality, principle and character, an object can 
have neither being nor existence and must instantly 
cease to appear. 

No mathematical principle is involved in any act 
of direct sensation; -therefore, no mathematical con- 
clusion can be arrived at through the senses alone. 

"The physical senses were never intended to be 
used as Philosophical instruments. Their office is 
solely to report the presence of objective things." 
Subjective Principles and Ideas are above their plane 
of action and cannot be denned by them. Accurate 
description of qualifications and characteristics, as 
well as correct measurement of the objects themselves, 
involves a just exercise of the higher faculty, 
Reason, which, because it is a faculty of the spiritual 
Intelligence, can appreciate qualities as well as sizes, 



79 

thus accurately determining the facts of existence 
embodied in any object. This, the external senses 
cannot do; therefore, evidence given by them in- 
variably falls short of necessary data for accurate 
information, and should not be trusted as means to a 
final conclusion. 

The faculty of vision, if accurately tested, will 
illustrate this shortcoming. The remark is fre- 
quently heard, "What I see I can believe"; and 
the average person is quite indignant if doubt of his 
ability to see things as they are is expressed; yet 
it is an indisputable fact that we never see any- 
thing as it really is in the material universe ; 
neither do any two persons see the same thing 
exactly alike. You do not know how another 
person sees an object ; you only know how it appears 
to you — that is, you know your interpretation of 
your own Vision, but not any other person's inter- 
pretation of his Vision. Color, form, dimension, 
distance, solidity — all vary in some degree with 
every observer; sometimes radical differences occur. 

A cambric needle appears to be a tiny bit of 
very smooth and highly polished steel, with an abso- 
lute point of no dimensions. The sense of feeling 
corroborates the evidence of sight, because the needle 
feels absolutely smooth, and the sharpness of a point 



is plainly felt and seems to be present ; but put the 
needle under a microscope and the illusion vanishes. 
The seeming point is revealed as a clumsy, blunt 
or ragged end, with no suggestion of sharpness; 
the seemingly bright, polished surface is seen to be 
rough and lustreless. There is nothing present to 
even suggest what the eye seemed to see before the 
microscope disclosed the truth. 

In which instance is vision to be regarded as 
correct? Is the piece of steel as vision reports it, 
or as the microscope shows it to be ? Is it the 
office of the microscope to change right impressions 
of things to those which are wrong? Is it not, 
rather, to correct the coarseness of natural vision 
and to bring objects before the understanding in a 
degree nearer to their true state ? Do the lenses of 
the microscope enlarge the object ? Do they not, 
rather, multiply the power of vision to the extent that 
more of the real nature of the object is recognized? 

The fact is, the microscope enables the observer 
to come in closer contact with, the true qualities 
of the object and to reason better concerning what 
is seen, and thus the inference drawn from sense- 
evidence becomes more accurate. 

In the needle, the qualities of sharpness, smooth- 
ness and lustre are not present as realities of the 






molecular construction of the article, but as illusions 
of the sense of sight. This illusion exists because 
of inability to see the particles composing the object, 
the eye as an instrument being proportionately so 
coarse that it cannot come in effective contact with 
them. Vision acute enough to enable one to see 
the atoms comprising the steel would render the 
observer powerless, so far as vision is concerned, to 
recognize the needle itself, or to know its usefulness. 

Already the Microscope has opened the door to 
an entirely new world, of the most marvelous con- 
struction, too fine to be apprehended through external 
sense ; but for the discovery of this mathemat- 
ical instrument it would still remain unrecognized. 
If the power of lenses be increased, there will 
be discovered yet other and more marvelous worlds 
of life-activities on every hand, in the midst of what 
now seems to be the entire creation. 

There may be brought forward by any thinker 
various illustrations similar in character in regard 
to the power and scope of the senses, which prove 
them instruments incapable of estimating measure- 
ments accurately. 

When qualities are observed through, the senses, 
they are interpreted relative to other qualities, similar 
in character. Objects are either large or small, 



long or short, wide or narrow, hard or soft, heavy 
or light; in temperature, hot or cold; in color,. light 
or dark ; in sensation, acute or dull : and qualities 
are either good or bad, even right or wrong, accord- 
ing to comparison with other objects or qualities. 
Neither these nor any real characteristics of objects 
can be definitely determined by sense- power. 

The evidence of the senses is susceptible of cor- 
rection by man himself; therefore, sense-power is 
not man's highest power, because the most powerful 
cannot be over-powered — the highest cannot be 
corrected. 

Most people suppose they believe the evidence 
of their senses, yet every intelligent thinker is 
constantly reasoning beyond their pale. The intelli- 
gent mechanic never trusts sense-evidence exclusively, 
but has an instrument by which to determine every 
measurement. Frequently, as in the case of some 
finely constructed astronomical instruments, a second 
instrument is required to register and interpret the 
information given through the first, for which purpose 
the senses are known to be inadequate. 

In some problems mathematical calculation and 
processes of reasoning are necessary in order to 
arrive at a correct interpretation of measurements. 
In fact, no true mathematician ever trusts his senses 



»3 

further than to read the coarsest of characters and to 
furnish crude material with which to begin investiga- 
tion; any degree of confidence beyond this leads to 
erroneous conclusions and corresponding disaster. 

Sensation reports the presence of a phenome- 
non. What it really is; what are its dimensions, 
its character, its qualities; what principles are in- 
volved in its formation, what is its nature, object 
and scope — all these are entirely beyond the power 
of sensation to determine, and no accurate information 
whatever in regard to them can be gained by direct 
action of the senses. Every point of description 
is a matter of inference drawn by the observer; and 
wrong inference is the result of faulty reasoning 
with regard to the appearance. Through accurate 
reasoning wrong evidence may be corrected and the 
truth learned concerning that object. 

This is a vital point in considering the question 
of the nature and cause of sickness, because the re- 
ported evidence of the sense of feeling is involved in 
every case. This sense is no more reliable than any 
of the others; its evidence requires the equalizing 
influence of reason, in order that the real condition 
underlying the feeling, may be correctly interpreted. 

Feeling gives evidence only with regard to exter- 
nal molecular vibrations. The real character of the 



34 

sickness depends upon inner activities beyond the 
scope of this sense; therefore, to trust its evidence 
absolutely would be ; in every instance, to draw 
erroneous conclusions which in treatment might lead 
to disastrous results. 

Through the physical senses alone no one can 
comprehend a mathematical principle or solve even 
the simplest problem ; senses deal with externals only, 
while some faculty within the individual goes deeper, 
higher, and perceives the principles underneath the 
grouping of objects. 

Comprehensive understanding of Principle is a 
faculty which every sane human being possesses; 
animals lack this, though they have all the phys- 
ical sense-faculties, sometimes even to a greater de- 
gree of acuteness than man. In the dog or in the 
weasel the sense of smell is more acute than in man. 
The eagle has power to gaze on the midday sun. 
Many varieties of insects and animals see both by 
night and by day; thus what Ave call darkness be- 
comes non-existent for them. 

Animals, also, have power to think — to reason 
about things and objects on the plane of their own 
life, to recognize facts of experience and results 
of action, with, in some instances, marked ex- 
ercise of memory; yet animals have not developed 



85 

the faculty of intelligent comprehension of Principle. 
This is a spiritual faculty of divine origin belong- 
ing to the higher and purer side of human nature, 
above the animal intelligence and beyond the 
sense -plane, but capable of being understood and in- 
telligently employed for a purpose. Knowledge 
acquired through conscious exercise of this natural 
faculty, conveys power for action which is unattain- 
able by the development of the physical, the sensuous, 
or even the intellectual, alone. The innate good 
of power thus generated can be recognized only 
through direct comprehension of principles. 

Spiritual faculties can be exercised only through 
pure motive and for a good purpose ; because they 
are absolutely pure in nature, and purity can never 
defile. The intellect, when perverted by self-desire on 
the sense-plane, may start a wrong action, and 
state a false premise ; but spiritual understanding can 
neither make the statement nor believe it to be true. 
Spiritual comprehension either takes no part in the 
transaction, as when an error is innocently committed, 
or, through the inspired voice of conscience, protests 
against the outrage when a wrong act is decided 
upon for a willful purpose. The native purity of 
spiritual Principle remains unchanged, however, and 
eventually compels the righting of each wrongful act. 



The natural retribution of outraged Principle 
begins to take effect within the mind of him who 
fails to follow the Principles comprehended, as 
soon as the act is committed; the correspond- 
ing result is only a matter of time unless the 
right action is speedily re-established. The slow- 
ness of the change or process may blind one's eyes 
for a while, but Principle cannot be permanently trans- 
gressed: it is the eternal activity of" the universe and 
eventually must be complied with by every one. 
Failure to comply with Principle, for any reason 
whatever, either intentional or accidental, is existence, 
for the time of transgression, outside the perpetual 
harmony of its native purity. On the earth-plane, 
sorrow, sickness and untimely death follow contin- 
uance of erroneous action, to all classes alike. 
Neither saint nor sinner can claim favor of the law. 

Opinion is equally inoperative here, as in the 
working of any mathematical problem — nothing short 
of complete recognition of the Principle involved, 
and absolute compliance with it, can solve any 
problem. But with this degree of compliance the 
right solution is inevitable. 

The facts of Absolute Truth are unconditioned. 



CHAPTER VI. 

MENTAL ACTION. 

The Process of Thought. 

The Theory of Metaphysical Healing presents 
three distinct statements : 

(a) Mind antedates and is superior to body. 

(b) Each mind governs its own body through 
definite laws of mental action. 

(c) By certain erroneous lines of thought con- 
ditions of disease are generated, which may be re- 
moved, and health restored, by establishing different 
modes of action. 

These statements differ somewhat from those gen- 
erally entertained in regard to the nature, the prob- 
able causes and possible cures of sickness, and in 
order to understand them fully it will be necessary 
to examine the thinking process of mind. 

What is the process of Thought? How does 
Mind think? These are questions which invariably 



arise at the outset of investigation of this subject. 
They are not difficult to answer, if certain facts 
concerning thought are taken into consideration. 

Thought is mental action. The intelligent indi- 
vidual thinks. Conscious activity of the mental 
faculties results in the formation of a thought-image 
in mind; the individual has intelligently conceived 
something — that something is an Idea. 

Ideas are entities composed of spiritual substance — 
spiritual things. In substance, they are real; in 
activity, living; in endurance, eternal. Each is a 
permanent reality. Living Principle is the essence 
of every true Idea. 

Thought is the process of forming, among the con- 
scious activities of mind ; a mental image or picture 
of the Idea which at that moment is the object of 
consciousness. There is no other method or means 
of thought — no different thought-activity. The men- 
tal process of conscious thought consists in clearly 
seeing and intelligently understanding the form, shape, 
size, color, qualities and other characteristics of ideas 
which already exist in universal mind, on the spiritual 
plane of Being. The detail of the process is mental; 
but the final intelligent comprehension is a spiritual 
act of high degree, in which physical sense takes 
no part. 



8 9 

A true Thought is an Idea individually recognized. 
Ideas are founded upon fundamental principles of 
truth. To become conscious of a real Idea is to 
recognize a fundamental truth — a permanent prin- 
ciple of the universe. 

When the character and quality of an Idea are 
fully recognized, a picture of that Idea is instan- 
taneously impressed upon the living substance of 
mind. Conscious recognition of the Idea, and im- 
pression of the picture, are simultaneous in action. 
The Idea is a permanent, unchanging reality, per- 
fect in every detail. The mental picture will cor- 
respond exactly to the interpretation of the Idea. 
It may be either perfect or imperfect, complete or 
incomplete, correct or incorrect, true or false, accord- 
ing to the quality of the thought. Imperfection in 
the thought, however, does not change the nature 
of the Idea — it affects only the thinker, in his 
relation to that Idea. 

Through exercise of true thought the real Idea 
is recognized in its native purity and perfection. 
In this process the thinker, acting through pure 
intelligence, mounts upward to the spiritual plane 
and recognizes truth itself. Through incorrect 
thought one sees darkly, interprets imperfectly, and 
forms a temporary picture correspondingly inaccurate, 



go 

based upon an appearance which does not corre- 
spond to any real Idea. Yielding to the illusions of 
sense, man withdraws from the uplifting influence of 
intelligence and retrogrades to the material plane 
where mere appearances seem real and illusions 
becloud the intellect. 

This form of thought possesses no principle 
or real quality; has therefore no permanence 
and cannot endure. It is a seeming, which passes 
away — a falsity, an illusion. It seems to possess 
power, but the seeming exists on the sense-plane 
only, and always bears relation to some object of 
sense-recognition. It is a sensation rather than a 
thought. 

In either act of thought, mind forms a picture 
which is a copy of its own comprehension of the 
subject. Clearness in the picture depends upon 
the purity with which the qualities of the Idea 
are recognized. 

Words do not necessarily bear direct relation 
either to Ideas or to Thoughts ; at best they 
are imperfect, incomplete, only crude symbols of 
thoughts, and frequently inadequate to express the 
Idea conceived. 

Mind recognizes Ideas, thinks about them by 
forming mental pictures, and explains what it thinks 



in words. To think, therefore, is to recognize an Idea ; 
and to think rightly is to form in mind a correct 
picture of the Idea, intelligently comprehending all 
its subjective details. If the Idea is not consciously 
recognized, no mental picture is formed; in which 
case there can be no mental action, no thought on 
that subject, and no information gained. 

True knowledge cannot be acquired in conscious 
thought on the plane of this life, without the purely 
mental act of picturing in mind the qualifications 
of some real, subjective Idea; this act can not take 
place without spiritual comprehension of the princi- 
ples involved in that Idea. 

To one familiar with the English language the 
sound of the word apple instantly arouses in mind 
a more or less complete and perfect picture of 
that fruit. Each mind, however, adds to its first 
impression of the Idea the detailed characteristics of 
size, color, flavor, etc., with which previous experience 
in conscious recognition of apples has made it famil- 
iar. If several persons hear the word apple, each, 
perhaps, sees in mind somewhat different character- 
istics of the Idea : — to one, the apple seems red, 
to another yellow, while still another thinks of it 
as variegated in color, large or small, sweet or 
sour, according to his previous conceptions. Though 



the correct idea, apple, be aroused in the mind of each 
by hearing the same sound, yet each mind in its own 
thinking process is at work supplying with lightning 
rapidity those qualifications which go to make up 
some special kind of apple. This detailed thought- 
process does not take place, however, unless the Idea 
is aroused in consciousness, and a mental picture of 
the idea enters the activity of that mind. If no 
Idea is comprehended no picture is seen, and no 
conscious thought occurs. 

Suppose the word apple to be spoken for the 
first time in the hearing of one unacquainted with 
the English language. It makes no conscious im- 
pression upon his mind ; therefore, it arouses 
no conscious thought with reference to any 
object. He does not recognize the word as asso- 
ciated with any Idea. To him it is not even 
a Avord, but only a meaningless disturbance of 
atmospheric vibrations. No Idea is aroused in his 
intelligent understanding by the sound vibration, 
therefore he sees no mental picture ; but speak the 
word which, in his native tongue, is associated 
with that Idea, and he will instantly proceed 
in conscious thought to picture the idea with 
every quality of which he had previously gained 
an understanding. 



Mind thinks, both by seeing mental pictures of 
Ideas previously comprehended, and by consciously 
picturing ideas newly acquired. 

True mental pictures are correct copies of ideas. 
If the ideas are clearly comprehended the pictures 
will be rightly interpreted. Ideas are seen directly 
through the sense of spiritual perception, and com- 
prehended through the faculty of spiritual under- 
standing. The physical senses are not essential to 
this process — indeed, they are entirely inadequate 
for any degree of its activity. Intelligence and 
Sensation are opposite in character. 

Ideas are spiritual. Pictures are mental and sen- 
sations are sensuous, while objective things are phys- 
ical, both in character and construction. 

The process of understanding an Idea is a purely 
spiritual act, performed through a clear comprehen- 
sion of the principles upon which that Idea is 
founded. Intelligence is the Instrument employed. 

The process of apprehending, interpreting and 
imaging a correct understanding of Spiritual Ideas, is 
metaphysical, and the Spiritual Intellect is the active 
Instrument. Intellect apprehends, Reason interprets 
and Imagination images, or pictures in mind, the 
degree of intelligent comprehension of the Idea 
which is under examination. 



94 

Seeing mental pictures held in other minds, 
without conscious effort to interpret or understand 
on the part of the thinker, is psychical : the Imaging 
Faculty abnormally exercised, through inverted re- 
flection of the original Image, is the Instrument 
employed in psychical action. In the process of 
reflection every Image is inverted; therefore, the in- 
formation gained through psychical process will be 
misleading, unless interpreted through Intelligence 
by comparison with the true Idea. 

The process of examining objective things is 
sensuous, and sensation is the instrument employed. 
Sensation is limited in power to examination of the 
coarsest of physical phenomena, and never gives 
accurate information concerning the qualities and 
character of any element. Eeality is entirely beyond 
its pale, and never seems to have existence while 
the evidences of sensation are relied upon in 
investigation. 

If the individual exercises no intellectual faculty 
above the sense-plane, he remains, in action, a mere 
animal; for even the brute creation shares with him 
every kind and every degree of power contained in 
the five senses. But if he rises a step higher, thus 
becoming open to the influence of pictures of better 
things, active in thinking minds, he gains an impetus 



upward, through right exercise of the Imagination, 
and begins to think and to reason on a higher plane, 
which leads to deeper understanding. 

Even in psychical action he is not entirely 
above the animal plane, and his impulses require 
careful attention. Intelligent animals have the 
faculty of seeing mental pictures, and are sus- 
ceptible to similar influence in either direction, both 
from their own kind and from the minds of men. 
The intelligent dog knows the thought of his master, 
and frequently acts on his suggestion without a 
word or any outward sign. The picture in the mind 
of his master is a law unto him. The average horse 
of good spirit knows immediately if the driver lacks 
self-confidence (sometimes before he is seen), and is 
quick to take advantage of it. Animals seldom attack 
one who remains firm and absolutely fearless, par- 
ticularly if a thought of universal sympathy with, 
and appreciation of the good qualities inhering in 
all forms of life be extended to each in reasonable 
proportion. 

The power of the human eye to subdue passion 
in the savage beast is universally recognized, though 
not generally understood. The human mind, acting 
through its thought-picture which is projected out- 
ward from the eye, in reflection of the image of 



5 6 

thought, is the force which, with the irresistible 
power of spiritual intelligence, overpowers the brute 
impulse in the beast. If perfectly exercised through 
pure intelligence, it would conquer in every in- 
stance. Intelligence is greater than animal impulse, 
in either man or beast, and mind is more powerful 
than any form of matter. 

If properly guarded and rightly exercised, psychic 
development may be a means of at least humaniz- 
ing the animal tendencies in man, eventually leading 
him to give due attention to his higher faculties. 

^Metaphysical understanding leads one to cease 
depending on the influence of pictures reflected 
from the minds of others, and to think for hiniself — 
to form his own mental pictures, so far as possible, 
through independent, conscious thought regarding 
the real ideas with which he comes in contact. 

Reasoning upwards from first impressions of 
ideas — fir •-:. y psychic help from minds that have 
consciously thought in advance of us. and second, 
through metaphysical reasoning, with regard to 
powers, causes and laws — we learn to form pictures 
of Ideas by thought -action: we receive, digest and 
assimilate facts with which sensation alone ne 
can bring us face to face; we gain understanding 
of principles, and spiritually see real Ideas. Such 



97 

growth in understanding may be attained through 
right exercise of the mental faculties. 

Through conscious thought, by means of its 
imaging faculty, Mind is under the guidance and 
control of intelligent understanding, from which it 
receives its impulses. 

Mind images — pictures ideas, by means of the 
Imagination, which, when understood in its true 
sense, is the most powerful instrument of the 
human mind. This faculty of imaging ideas is a 
marvelous faculty ; indeed, the imagination is the 
most wonderful of all human instruments. It is the 
intelligent activity of the spiritual side of human 
nature, and the only faculty through which the 
thinker can gain pure understanding of any subject; 
because it is the only faculty of conscious, intellectual 
action, and the only instrument with which prin- 
ciples may be examined. It is the least understood, 
because least studied, being considered by superficial 
thinkers a distorted rather than a real faculty. 

The Imagination, using the word in its true sense, 
is of first importance, and should be thoroughly 
mastered by every individual. When rightly used 
it will prove the most efficient instrument for 
analyzing the evidence of the physical senses, and 
deducing actual facts from the evidences presented : 



9 8 



then principles will be recognized and laws discov- 
ered, giving knowledge of life as it was intended to 
be, and as it really is, on the spiritual plane of exist- 
ence, and also as it will be on the mental plane when 
the imaging faculty of mind is thoroughly understood. 
Healthy conditions and harmonious sensations are 
inevitable results of the acquirement of this 
knowledge. 

Imagination is the active instrument of that in- 
visible but real operator, the spiritual Individual 
who acts through understanding of principles. If 
not allured into wrong channels through the seem- 
ingly accurate evidence of the physical senses, it will 
help to rightly interpret the activities of real life 
as expressed in the fundamental principles of 
human existence on all planes — physical, mental 
and spiritual. 

The Spiritual is a permanent plane of real, intel- 
ligent principle. 

The Mental is a progressive plane of actual intel- 
lectual comprehension. 

The physical is a temporary and constantly chang- 
ing plane of seeming, material, reflection. 

On the physical plane the thinker's mental in- 
terpretations of the spiritual facts of eternal reality 
are outwardly re-enacted in material copy. 



99 

The steps in the process may be classified as 
follows : 

1. The fundamental Principles which are involved. 

2. The Idea which is founded upon those principles. 

3. Spiritual comprehension of the idea, including 
an understanding of its principles. 

4. The mental Image of that particular compre- 
hension of the idea. 

5. The objective copy in Physical element of that 
mental image. 

Spiritual Principles are the real entities of the 
universe. Spiritual Ideas are the developed activ- 
ities of those principles. Metaphysical thought- 
concepts of those Ideas and Principles are the active 
■ Realities of human existence. These concepts vary 
in degree of accuracy according to the conscious 
recognition of each individual mind; therefore, 
human experience varies in accordance with the 
changing . of the mental pictures formed during 
experience. 

Intelligence recognizes spiritual activities. 

Imagination pictures (images) the recognition. 

Intellect interprets the picture. 

Reason determines its qualities. 

Thought brings all together in comprehension of 
the entire subject; therefore, Thought is a process 



of reason through intellectual interpretation of the 
mental pictures reflecting from spiritual Ideas. 

Thought is an active, intelligent power — Imagina- 
tion its living instrument. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE PHYSICAL REFLECTION OF THOUGHT. 

Its Expression on the Body. 

The personal Human Body is a physical copy 
of the individual Mind, and in some part of its con- 
struction expresses its every thought. 

Each function of individual thought has an exact 
correspondence in some function of the physical 
body, which instantly responds to every thought in 
its own domain. Corresponding to every mental 
function there is a physical organ which is its 
reflected counterpart. 

Every thought-picture that is formed in mind is 
accurately registered in the corresponding part of 
that man's body. 

Mental pictures react by direct reflection through 
the atoms and molecules of the ganglia, which com- 
prise the ganglionic or sympathetic nervous system. 
The physical reflection will be like the mental act 



from which it reflects — it may be tempered somewhat 
by the qualities of the reflecting medium, but it 
never can be radically different in character. 

The form, color and other characteristics of the 
thought-picture will strictly accord with the qualities 
of the Ideas examined, provided those ideas are 
rightly comprehended by the observer. Personal 
desires and intentions will have no weight against 
this law regarding all mental activity. 

Both the actual Idea and the Principle back of it 
are eternally perfect. Concepts of the Idea and 
realizations of the Principle may vary from perfec- 
tion down to utter failure, a mental picture being 
formed exactly like the concept, whether it be 
right or wrong. This picture registers in the physical 
system, reproducing its activities in the bodily action. 
In this manner the activities of all the organs of the 
body constantly change according to the variations of 
mental action. 

The thought is the real thing — the body is a 
projected copy of that thing in physical element. 

In sensation, only the physical is recognized; 
through intelligence, the thought itself is accessible. 

Every individual thinks either sub-consciously or 
super- consciously on planes of mental activity both 
beneath and above that of his every-day conscious 



K>3 

thinking about the things of this life. Such mental 
activity is not usually recognized, because the plane 
of conscious thought is the only distinctly apparent 
field of mental action. On the sub-conscious plane 
disease is generated by unnatural action and tissue 
is destroyed; on the super-conscious plane, healthy 
action takes place and tissue is reconstructed from 
natural ingredients contained in food, air and light. 

The act of each mind in any degree of conscious- 
ness, is registered on its own body, in some form 
or other, producing a result which reflects the 
qualities of the mental act. The physical and the 
mental action will be alike, for the time being. 

To thoroughly rid the system of wrong physical 
action, reflected from similar mental activity, it is 
necessary to strike at the root of the difficulty, 
changing the character of the action in that mind. 
When the harmful influence is dispelled, a corre- 
sponding change takes place in the body, by natural 
law, without conscious effort, and as a necessary 
consequence of the true relation which always 
exists between mind and body. The trouble then 
disappears and healthy activity is established in 
the physical system. This renews the action of 
the heart and other vital organs, cleansing the blood 
and purifying the entire system; while the indi- 



vidual mind working through natural, harmoni- 
ous laws, on the super-conscious plane, restores the life 
of each molecule and builds new tissue, on the 
perfect model of that Individual's natural system, 
as originally constructed on ideas of fundamental 
health and wholeness. 

As before stated, every mental activity results 
in a similar kind and quality of activity in the cor- 
responding part of that mind's body. The mental 
image of that activity may also be transferred to 
other minds through reflection of the picture, in 
which event the corresponding action may be re- 
enacted in both mind and body of the one who thus 
absorbs the action from the mind which thinks it. 

These are fundamental principles regarding men- 
tal action in its relation to the conditions of the 
human body. If once understood, they give an insight 
into the affairs of human experience, impossible to 
obtain through any amount of knowledge otherwise 
acquired. 

When these facts are comprehended it will readily 
be seen that a realization of the true qualities of 
the fundamental idea, Harmony, must result in a 
mental picture conforming to harmonious activity; 
also, that the reflected copy of that mental action 
must inevitably have a harmonious tendency. If 



the idea be perfectly conceived, the thought will 
reflect in harmonious action through the nervous 
system, producing a natural condition in the physical 
body. 

In harmonious activity, nature builds and retains 
a healthy body. If obstructions to healthy action 
be present they must, of course, be removed through 
right thought, after which the harmonious result 
will be inevitable; nothing can prevent it. On 
the other hand, if the mental picture be distorted 
or erroneous, with no enduring Idea for a funda- 
mental principle, its temporary reflection on the body 
will also be distorted, resulting in corresponding de- 
grees of discord. Consequently, sickness instead of 
health will ensue, either to that thinker or to some 
one in immediate mental contact who may absorb 
the disturbing influence through reflection of the 
mental Image. Many forms of disease are developed 
in this manner and transmitted between human beings 
of all ages and conditions, because of ignorance of 
the fundamental laws of life and of the natural course 
of mental action. Most epidemics are generated in 
this field of erroneous and unnecessary mental action.* 
Knowledge of certain laws renders such influence 



*This subject is further explained in succeeding chapters in connection 
with the cause and cure of disease. 



inoperative for any individual, and also even im- 
parts power to relieve others. 

The human body is a marvelously intricate ma- 
chine ; yet in every respect it is incalculably sur- 
passed by the thin king mind, which is infinitely 
more intricate in constitution, more subtle in action, 
broader in scope, and greater in poAver and endurance. 

The action of mind and body together may be 
illustrated materially by the action of a steam-boiler, 
and its accompanying machinery. The machine has 
many wheels, valves, pistons, shafts, tubes and other 
parts, all dependent upon and regulated in their 
motions by the power which proceeds from the steam- 
chest. They are utterly useless without the applica- 
tion of this power. The steam-chest, in turn, is a 
useless vessel without an influx of energy in the shape 
of compressed steam admitted to it from the boiler, 
where the steam is generated from water by means 
of heat. 

If the boiler is constructed on scientific principles 
of exactness, is filled with pure water, and the right 
amount of fuel is supplied for combustion, steam is 
produced, generating power which, when admitted 
to the steam-chest in sufficient quantity, supplies 
the machine with energy sufficient to propel every 
part in harmonious action. 



107 

Suppose now that the engineer, finding the machine 
going at too high a rate of speed, places obstructions 
in the gearing and machinery to block the wheels 
and thus check speed. It is clear that the result 
will be disastrous. Or suppose that he should recog- 
nize only the machine with its objective mechan- 
ism, and, believing the steam-chest to be the motive 
power, should attempt to reduce the speed of the 
engine by direct work upon the steam- chest itself, — 
again he will only injure the machine. The only 
scientific way is to reduce the pressure of steam 
from the boiler, upon which the entire machine 
gradually slows down to a proper rate of speed 
without any attempt on the part of the engineer 
to act directly on the machine itself or on any of 
its parts. 

The correspondence existing between the mech- 
anism of the engine, with its power-producing 
forces, and the machinery of man's physical body 
controlled by mind, is remarkably clear. Both of the 
mistakes just enumerated as possible by injudicious 
management of the mechanical engine, are repeatedly 
made, under the name of Science, in attempts to 
control the organs and parts of the human machine 
by direct influence upon each part, instead of by 
appeal to the source of its energy — the thinking 



mind — where its every mode cf action is established, 
and whence continuance or change must originate. 

The elements and parts involved in the con- 
struction and operation of a steam engine are as 
follows : 

1. Machinery. 

2. Steam-Chest. 

3. Boiler. 

4. Water. 

5. Combustion. 

6. Heat. 

7. Steam. 

If these words be described in terms which 
explain their character, each one represents a per- 
manent Idea of especial importance in the Universe. 
The word cannot be adequately defined without ex- 
pressing the Idea which it really represents. 

The pipes, rods, wheels and other parts of the 
machinery constitute a machine, which represents 
the idea Construction. 

In the Steam-chest, Energy is concentrated with 
which to propel the machine, and Concentration de- 
scribes both its function and its character. 

The Boiler is the active seat of the immediate 
development of Energy, and represents the inten- 
tion or Purpose of the inventor. 



Water is the Substance from which steam is 
evolved under the action of heat. 

Combustion liberates the latent heat which is 
stored and concentrated in the fuel, thereby devel- 
oping Action. 

Heat transfers its activity to the water and gen- 
erates steam ; while the Steam confined in the Steam- 
chest ever pushes its way outward in all directions, 
in a natural effort to break its bonds and express 
its energy in action. 

The elements, therefore, involved in the construction 
and operation of every steam engine are as follows : 



Objective 

Steam, 

Heat, 

Combustion, 

Watee, 

Boiler, 

Steam-Chest, 

Machinery, 



representing 



Subjective. 

Energy. 

Activity. 

Action. 

Substance. 

Purpose. 

Concentration. 

Construction. 



The higher analogy between the two may be 

explained as follows : 

Water symbolizes the Spiritual Substance of Life — 
Living Keality ; mobile, elastic, limpid and pure : 
cleansing, healing, brightening and strengthening 
every living thing with which it comes in contact. 



Heat symbolizes the Spiritual Activity of the Uni- 
verse, latent in all substance. 
Steam symbolizes Spiritual Energy, which proceeds 

from the activities of living Reality. 
The Boiler of the Engine, in its office and action, 
corresponds to Mind ; because it is the instru- 
ment for developing and retaining Energy in 
the shape of developed activity. In its correct 
action the real purpose of the individual thinker 
is recognized. 
Combustion, or fire, on the material plane, symbolizes 
Thought- Action, which liberates the latent energy 
inhering in the substance of every intelligent being. 
The Steam-Chest, a receptacle in which is stored 
all the energy and power designed for use in 
that particular machine, has its correspond- 
ence in the Cardiac membrane of the body, 
which extends — an unbroken receptacle — from 
the Heart through all vessels of the arteries, 
the veins and the Lungs. 
Every engine and machine has its exact counter- 
part in some part of the mechanism of the human 
body with its vital organs, and whatever is true of 
the mechanical machine is true also of the human 
body ; while all the principles involved in the one 
are of equally vital importance to the other, and each 



subjective element represented in the power-producing 
forces of the machine is a constructive element of 
every mind. Without every part, every faculty and 
every function in perfect operation, the best result 
cannot be obtained, either with the vital or the 
mechanical machine. 

Without heat, water would fail to develop steam, 
and without combustion there could be no heat. 
Without water, combustion and heat would be use- 
less ; and in the absence of a Boiler there could be 
no retention of force, and the energy of these ele- 
ments could not be successfully applied through this 
particular machine. With no steam-chest, energy 
could not be concentrated, and in the absence of 
special machinery the concentrated energy could not 
be applied for a definite purpose. Steam is the active 
agency of this design, and without it no possible action 
can be established in that machine. 

To return for a moment to the list of elements 
combined and activities involved in the steam 
engine : The Objective list is composed entirely of 
physical elements. Each one is material in construc- 
tion, and in its present state can never leave the 
earth ; yet, in character, each is distinctly spir- 
itual, deriving its characteristics directly from the 
corresponding subjective principle. 



The Subjective list is entirety spiritual, and be- 
longs to the realm of active, conscious Reality. Each 
item of the list is an Idea in Universal mind, and 
has its being independent of materiality. It can- 
not be manifested in sensation, except through 
some material construction embodying its principles. 
But the objective representation is not the same 
real entity that the subjective principle is. The 
subjective can continue to be, independent of the 
existence of the objective, while the objective can 
have no existence apart from the subjective. 

Steam illustrates Energy. Now, Energy is an 
infinite and eternal reality, always present in the 
Universe and susceptible at all times of demonstration 
in countless ways. Steam is but one of the existing 
modes of expression of the inherent power of spirit- 
ual energy. If Energy were not present in the 
Universe the power of Steam would never have 
been developed ; for Steam is only the Energy 
that is latent in water, escaping from temporary 
restraint, and displaying the natural freedom of 
its real nature. Eemove energy from steam, and 
its seeming qualities vanish, while the element 
instantly ceases to exist in that form. 

By the same analogy, if the idea Substance 
was not present in universal mind, the element 



Water would have no appearance on this or on any- 
other planet. Substance is the life of every earthly- 
element, uniting and holding together all its particles. 
If all the water of the earth were destroyed, sub- 
stance would still inhere in every remaining thing. 
The Idea Substance is an ever present reality, which 
can neither cease to be, diminish, nor change. 

Activity is ever present in each atom of every 
element. Without this eternal entity — a spiritual 
Idea, possessed of eternal life — even the atom 
would cease to hold its form, and would vanish. 
If there were no Activity there could be neither 
Combustion nor Heat; these constitute the body, 
while eternal activity is the spirit of their life. If 
there were no conscious Idea of a Purpose, a 
steam-boiler never could have been invented, as 
the boiler only expresses the purpose for which it 
exists — namely, to develop and retain for use the 
energy which exists in Water, but which is useless 
while seemingly confined within those narrow bounds. 
The Individual mind derives its idea of a Purpose 
from Universal Mind, where it subsists as an eternal 
entity of divine reality. • 

If the conscious Idea of Concentration were not 
present in universal mind, the steam-chest never 
would have been conceived by man ; and without 



Purpose, concentrated for action, the machine would 
have no existence. 

The Life of each Objective element inheres in 
the essence of its corresponding Subjective element; 
the substance endures, while its reflected expression 
constantly changes. The subjective or real is spir- 
itual; its first reflection in the mind of man is mental 
action. 

The Material body belongs entirely in the objective 
realm, and is governed by the lavs which relate to 
objective things. Under the guiding influence of 
mind, intelligently exercised through conscious 
thought, it can be perfectly controlled in accordance 
with Xature's universal laws of life. 

In pure action, Mind is entirely subjective, and 
has its field of action on the spiritual plane, dealing 
directly with subjective elements. The thought- 
actions of mind transfer to and control molecular 
action in every part of the body, through the 
Mental Image of the Idea with which mind deals; 
for the thought-action forms a physical copy of the 
mental image of that idea. 

In this action we may recognize a physical 
reflection of thought. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE MENTAL ORIGIN OF DISEASE. 

Thought Images. 

Can mind cause Disease? Is it possible for an 
act of mind without exterior physical means to pro- 
duce an actual case of Sickness? 

In various forms of expression this question is 
seriously agitating the minds of several millions of 
intelligent thinkers, whose attention has in one way 
or another been called to the statements made by 
the schools of Mental Healing that disease is both 
caused and cured by mental means. 

The sentiment commonly expressed on first meet- 
ing with the idea is ; that sickness is Disease, and 
that Disease is a physical thing possessing inde- 
pendent power for harm. 

It is frequently stated with the utmost assur- 
ance that mind has nothing to do with Disease. 
except that, perhaps, the sickness may have reacted 



somewhat upon the mind ; and that if the disease be 
removed by physical means the normal condition of 
mind will thereby be restored. One of the 
commonest statements heard is, " Mental treat- 
ment may answer very well for the hysterical and 
those of doubtful intelligence who imagine sickness 
but are not diseased. My sickness, however, is not 
imaginary; it is a genuine disease with which mind 
has no connection — such cases require medicine 
which can be swallowed, or physical treatment. Mind 
can neither cause nor cure physical disease." 

These and kindred opinions seem to rest on a 
foundation of knowledge and common experience, 
yet every such thought is erroneous, and enter- 
tained only because the question of disease and its 
active cause has been viewed from but one side, 
while conclusions have been based upon the evidence 
of the physical senses, without investigation of the 
real activities of human nature. 

Although in many cases the disease to be dealt 
with is a physical condition more or less clearly 
apparent to the senses, yet it is never absolutely 
certain that it is physical in every part of its 
nature ; neither is there adequate evidence that it 
originated from a physical cause alone. In fact, 
such conclusion can only be reached through undem- 



onstrated opinion, as the most cursory investigation 
of prevailing mental conditions presents numerous 
points of evidence that some degree of corresponding 
mental action in a definite direction takes place on 
the mental plane previous to the development of any- 
diseased condition in Individual, Family, Commu- 
nity or Eace. 

The further honest investigation of this subject 
is carried, the more overwhelming becomes the accu- 
mulated evidence that disease originates in pre- 
viously established mental action, which works itself 
out through the vital organs of the physical sys- 
tem, unrecognized except as the physical sensations 
resulting from the mental disturbances are ob- 
served. This is now a thoroughly established fact, 
and only those who refuse to investigate can continue 
to doubt the statement.. 

Three principal degrees of disease are now 
recognized. First, those conditions of the material 
body in which physical change of tissue has oc- 
curred in organic structure because of the continued 
presence of some definite unhealthy action. This 
form is recognized as Organic Disease, or Lesion, 
and is usually considered the most serious form 
of sickness. It is commonly supposed to bear no 
relation whatever to mental activity, but to be 



itself physical thing, with definite power for 

harmful action. Such a conclusion postulates intelli- 
gence of disease, and makes it logically necessary 
to consider it an animal possessed of some degree 
of will and determination. These faculties are 
purely mental; therefore the inimal must tissess 
mind a? well as ly — :he mind of a microbe 

instead of that of a man, but mind. nevertheless 3 
jlse it would : levoid of power to plan and execute. 

The human mind includes all faculties of the 
entire animal kingdom, combined with the higher 
activities of logical reasoning and intellectual com- 
prehension of principles ; therefore it possesses powers 
of intelligence immeasurably greater than those of 
any microbe, and so should readily overthrow any ani- 
mal action or plan for action on the field of the 
human body. The one necessary condition is an 
adequate understanding of the laws involved: 

Xexr in order, in the classification of diseases, 
comes that class oi disturbances of the physical sys- 
tem, in which,, though no physical lesion or change of 
structure can be discovered, yet the patient is afflicted 
with weakness, lack of endurance, and excitability, 

jther with various tendencies recognized as nerv- 
ous or near tic, and classed either as di=. 
functional disturbances. These, also, are generally 



considered actual physical diseases, affecting only the 
nervous system. They are usually classed under the 
head of neurosis or neurasthenia, and are known as 
neurasthetic conditions. Prominent physicians recognize 
that the mind probably has much to do with devel- 
oping this form of disease, but usually they are 
unable to satisfactorily explain the mode of devel- 
opment, and hence are practically powerless to remove 
the troublesome symptoms by medication, though they 
study and work with great patience, confidence and hope. 

In the third class of recognized diseases, marked 
symptoms of distress appear, without any physical 
lesion of tissue or definite nervous derangement 
that can be mechanically discovered ; yet the patient 
evidently suffers and seems unable to control action. 
These cases are considered purely nervous and are 
frequently classed as diseases of the Imagination. It 
is admitted that they may originate in mind, because 
of a distorted imagination. It is also admitted 
that mental treatment may have some effect upon 
this class of patients, because it is supposed that 
nothing is the matter with them. This last opin- 
ion is a commom error, based upon misunderstand- 
ing of the case. 

Almost countless names have been attached to 
the manifold forms of disease, but all are modes of 



wrong molecular action and each one comes under the 
head of one or the other of the three previously 
mentioned degrees of disorder. Distinctly named, 
these are : 

1. Organic disease: Lesion of physical tissue devel- 
oped by continued disturbance of some organ or part. 

2. Nervous disorder: Disturbance of the circula- 
tion of nerve fluids, either organic or functional. 

3. Hysterical, imaginary and unreal: Commonly 
supposed to be unnecessary and susceptible to per- 
sonal control by the sufferer. 

Investigation of mental action in its relation to 
the physical substructure discloses the fact that the 
three classes of disease, Organic, Neurotic and Hys- 
terical, are closely associated in what is really one 
class, with three degrees of action. Also, that each 
lower degree prepares the way for, leads to, and 
finally, if permitted to continue in operation, develops 
to the succeeding degree in due time, under favor- 
ing conditions and circumstances. This develop- 
ment is not, as some suppose, from physical to men- 
tal, but vice versa, the original mental action eventually 
leading to a physical condition corresponding to its 
mental cause. In general observation, only the phys- 
ical side is seen ; eonsequently, the mental action 
that has previously been in operation is not de- 






tected; nevertheless it is an active factor in life, 
and lias produced the physical condition. 

Beginning with external evidence and tracing back 
for an adequate cause, the fact is disclosed that in a 
given case of organic disease there first existed a 
nervous or functional disturbance with that part of 
the structure, before the lesion of tissue, described by 
the particular form of disease became established. 
This nervous disturbance sometimes develops so 
rapidly and in so subtle a manner as not to 
attract attention until the organic degree is reached; 
but whether of ]ong or short duration, if followed 
patiently and intelligently, it can invariably be traced 
back, through all the stages of nervousness, from the 
extreme symptoms bordering on the organic, perhaps 
through many degrees of action, to the first nervous 
tendencies, so slight as scarcely to be perceptible — 
then back still further, to some element of mental 
distress established before the first faint nervous 
tracings of the symptoms began. If this original 
mental action had not taken place the organic dis- 
ease would never have developed. 

While mental agitation continues, nervous agi- 
tation gradually, though perhaps imperceptibly, 
increases. It first exists in mind, sometimes develop- 
ing to hysteria or melancholia, even to insanity. Pro- 



longed disturbance of nervous circulation develops 
nerve exhaustion, spinal irritation and general nerv- 
ous weakness. This eventually leads to disturbance 
of those vital organs which are the most closely 
associated with the nervous system, as e. g., of the 
heart and blood vessels, producing a fever ; of the 
digestive organs, resulting in dyspepsia; and so on 
through the entire system. Every organ, muscle, 
artery, nerve and function is under absolute control 
of the thinking mind which is its living intelligence. 
This control is exerted entirely by mind acting 
through the nervous system. 

Next to the sympathetic system of ganglionic 
nerves, is the cerebro-spinal nervous system, which 
includes all the larger nerves and systems of nerves, 
supplying circulation to the principal vital organs 
and to the organs of sense. Following this there 
is a distinct system of arteries and veins; a 
system of vital organs; a muscular system, and 
a bony substructure, all of which systems unite 
to form one physical body. Each organ and every 
part of this physical structure is under the 
intelligent contrcl of the thinking mind, through 
thought exercised on the various planes of con- 
sciousness and reflected in the mechanism of the 
nervous svstem. 



The sympathetic nervous system corresponds 
more nearly than any other to the structure of the 
mental mechanism. It definitely registers every in- 
telligent thought-activity, and faithfully reproduces 
every thought-picture formed in mind. 

Every mental act is physically registered, either 
sub-consciously or super-consciously — first, directly 
on the brain, which is the centre of the molecular 
action in the nervous system ; then, through the 
circulation of nerve fluid in all branches of both 
nervous systems, on the vital organs, and, in turn, 
by means of the circulation of the blood, in and 
through every part of the material body, internal 
and external. In this way mind, through wrong 
action, becomes responsible for every abnormal action 
in the physical system. 

When clearly comprehended, the principle of the 
physical reflection of thought explains the numerous 
sicknesses of those children who are too young to think 
harm for themselves, yet who have mental mechan- 
isms that register surrounding influences, frequently 
in the minutest detail. The modes of action ex- 
pressed in those influences are afterwards re-enacted 
in the physical system, developing various correspond 
ing diseases. The anxious thought of the mother, 
nurse or doctor, for the child, reflects to, is absorbed 



by and re-enacted in the little one's mental mechan- 
ism. The mental picture of uncertainty, generated 
in the older mind, perhaps through fear of some 
particular danger to which the child is supposed to 
have been subjected, is reflected in the delicate 
nervous system, and corresponding vibrations of dis- 
cord register in the physical system — the child is 
taken sick in consequence. This effect is generally 
attributed to the weather, the food, or to the sup- 
posed presence in the atmosphere of some partic- 
ular thing called a disease, while the real enemy 
remains unrecognized. 

Minds are mirrors to thought-pictures, and reflect 
perfectly every outline. The minds of intelligent 
children are the most keenly sensitive mirrors of 
this kind, responding instantly to either right or 
wrong thought-action. Because of this fact these 
helpless little victims are at the mercy of surround- 
ing mental disturbances, unless a counteracting mental 
influence of a right character is brought to bear in 
their favor. 

The appalling child mortality in many civilized 
communities marks through our otherwise enlight- 
ened land the blighted pathway of erroneous con- 
victions in regard to the Thought of Evil. If 
entertained, this thought will inevitably result in the 



fear of death — or an end to life. This line of action 
contains mental images of distress which these sen- 
sitive little ones cannot endure, and hecause of its 
distressing vibrations they pass over the border in 
thousands. 

Several types of contagious disease originate en- 
tirely within this malignant field of false Mental 
Imagery. The sub-conscious action of similar thought 
is extremely intricate in detail, yet one erroneous 
principle underlies its every exercise ; that is. the 
picturing in mind of conceptions contrary to the 
harmonies of real life. The excuse that such 
thoughts are believed to be true will not in the 
smallest degree change or vary the inevitable result. 

Every thought is a thing in mind, and throws out 
a reflection which must be like the mental action 
from which it proceeds. When people learn to think 
and picture in mind that which they wish to possess 
rather than that which they fear, this law will be 
employed for real and permanent good. The Law 
is inexorable: act against it, and you will suffer its 
penalties ; co-operate with it and you will share 
its goodness. 

The direct action of mind in and through 
the nervous system is the secret of what seems to 
be physical life. When it ceases, life leaves the 



body, but does not necessarily leave the mind ; 
for mind is a living entity of spiritual substance, 
having an enduring nature independent of matter 
or physical form. 

Spiritual activity is the only real Life, while 
Spirit is the one active element of Divine Reality 
in the Universe. 

When used in relation to man, Mind and Spirit 
are terms employed to designate conscious activity 
on different planes of existence and in different 
phases of life. Spirit is the intelligent Individual, 
active in the higher forms and on all possible planes 
of intelligence and consciousness; while Mind is the 
same Individual acting on the thought-plane only. 
Continuing this classification, the Personality is that 
Individual acting temporarily on the sense-plane, — 
in the illusion of physical sensation ; and the 
bodv is a physical machine, constructed by mind, of 
material elements, for the purpose of analyzing sen- 
sations on this plane. Being a part of the earth, 
the body never leaves it, yet it depends entirely 
upon mind for form, structure, action, power and 
organization. 

He whose knowledge of his own being is limited 
to the outward objective laws of the physical body, 
knows nothing certain even about that organism; 



while he who has acquired true knowledge of the 
foundation principles of life, operating through the 
spiritual action of thought, has an understanding 
of facts with regard to the activities of both 
mind and body; for the body is controlled en- 
tirely by mind, which re-enacts the fundamental 
activities of intelligence; while these, in turn, are 
produced by active spirit, the substantial principle 
of conscious life. 

When spiritual life-action ceases to register in the 
nerves of the body, it begins to disintegrate and 
soon returns to its component elements of carbon, 
iron, salt, lime, soda, sulphur, phosphorus, magnesium, 
potash, saltpetre, water, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, 
and other earth elements of which it is con- 
structed, and in varying proportions of which it is 
held together during physical life, by super-con- 
scious mental action. Whether it shall be retained 
in its natural proportion of ingredients and in nor- 
mal degrees of action, depends upon the character of 
the mental action which governs it, while this, in 
turn, depends upon the active thought generated by 
the individual. 

These facts are concentrated in the Proverb of 
Solomon: "For as he thinketh in his heart so is 
he,"* both physically and mentally, in fact. 



* Proverbs xxiii : 7. 






Thought contrary to natural law produces disease. 
Thought in accordance with nature's laws results in 
health. This principle is absolute and universal. 

Where no mental action exists, no disease can 
take root. This statement is indisputable, if the fact 
of sub-conscious and super-conscious as well as con- 
scious mental action be taken into consideration, as 
must be the case before any definite information in 
regard to either mind or body can be acquired. 
Pure thought reflects in pure action : 
Pure act reacts in harmonious sensation. 



CHAPTER IX. 

CURATIVE INFLUENCES. 

What is a Mental Cure? 

In Metaphysical Philosophy man is understood 
to be : 

First — Spirit, a living intelligence, capable of 
thought for a conscious purpose ; a living entity of 
spiritual essence and substance — eternal, indestruct- 
ible, and not subject to physical injury or outward 
control. 

Second — Mind, which is Spirit in the thinking 
process of living activity. 

Third — Body, an outward expression of Mind in 
the evidence of sensation, through a physical system 
composed chiefly of millions of ganglia and nerves, 
combined in so intricate a system that its detail is 
almost beyond human comprehension ; so infinite in 
number that even the point of a needle placed in 
contact with the skin sometimes covers not onlv a 



nerve, but a system of nerves too fine to be examined 
by material agency. 

Nothing physical can be constructed fine enough 
to operate advantageously upon these infinitesimally 
small organs, to say nothing of influencing the vital 
fluid which flows through them. In construction they 
are finer than the molecular form of any drug. Man's 
physical senses are too coarse to come in contact with 
them, and his means for mechanical action are too 
large to operate upon them; his clumsy attempts can 
only interfere with Nature's mental handiwork. Yet 
these delicate instruments are of the most vital im- 
portance in every act of physical life, and direct cura- 
tive influence is impossible except through some mode 
of their activity, controlled by thought. 

The Ganglionic nerves are the immediate instru- 
ments of mind, responding to every conscious thought, 
as do the strings of a harp to atmospheric vibrations. 
Thought is more subtle than even these tiny organs, 
and they obey its every impulse. 

In the attempt to heal, the conventional physician 
approaches the case from a material standpoint, reach- 
ing the physical body through the stomach by means 
of chemical action ; therefore, he can at best hope to 
reach directly only those troubles which are distinctly 
associated with digestion and assimilation of food, 



with conditions of the blood and of those special 
organs the action of which depends upon the stomach. 

Chemical action in the human stomach is not a 
fixed quantity, but varies with every person and 
changes with every emotion of the mind. Because 
of this fact, the effect of medicine can never be fore- 
told with exactness, and every dose becomes an 
experiment. Mind is the Chemist that operates in 
the Laboratory of digestion, and through the activity 
of thought on all planes of consciousness the digestive 
apparatus is under absolute control of Intelligence. 

The Metaphysician approaches the individual 
from a standpoint opposite that of the medical 
schools, considering him a Spiritual Being rather 
than a Thing composed mainly of material elements. 
Dealing with mind, he reaches the physical system 
through the brain and the ganglionic nervous sys- 
tem, rather than through the stomach, — entering 
at the front door and meeting his Host in the 
drawing-room instead of in the kitchen. Comprehen- 
sive understanding is the basis of operation rather 
than chemical fermentation. Appeal is made to the 
intelligent Soul on the plane of understanding, instead 
of to the personality on the plane of sensation; 
correct living action is thereby established in mind 
and super-conscionsly re-enacted in the Brain cells. 



This condition is immediately transmitted through 
nerve circulation to all parts of the body, changing 
wrong modes of action in each organ to those which 
are right, and correcting every distorted function. 
Direct material action upon a particular organ is not 
necessary to this result. 

Mind is the masterly regulator of the entire 
physical mechanism, and must therefore preside over 
every possible chemical action in all digestive pro- 
cesses; and if the right mental condition be estab- 
lished a corresponding physical condition becomes a 
matter of course. 

In dealing with classified diseases by any phys- 
ical process of cure, the distinctly nervous and mental 
forms give the physician the most trouble. To aban- 
don the attempt to heal, shifting the responsibility 
to the patient with the statement that nothing is 
the matter — it is only " Imagination," is to confess 
entire ignorance as regards this remarkable faculty, by 
which strong men are often held in bondage. 

It is puerile to say of any patient that his 
sickness is only imaginary, — a fault of his own 
which he might correct if he would. No sane man 
would intentionally bring suffering upon himself and 
consciously continue its action, and no insane person 
would be capable of deliberately producing such a 



x 33 

result. Clearly something is wrong; and be the 
trouble real or " imaginary " it is the physician's 
duty to ascertain its nature, and to discover an 
adequate remedial agency. 

If, perchance, the patient only imagines a trouble 
which is not present, there should be found a cure 
for that distorted imagination. Such a cure will 
never be discovered without a full understanding of 
what Imagination really is, and in what line of 
activity it originates. 

The Imagination being a mental faculty, or, at 
least, an instrument of the mind, in order to gain the 
necessary information the mental activities must be 
investigated. Study along this line has been some- 
what neglected by the medical schools, principally, 
perhaps, because mind has been viewed as an adjunct 
of the body, more or less physical in its nature : a 
vague something or other, probably seated in the 
brain, perchance the brain itself; and the statement 
is frequently heard that mind is incapable of action 
except in accordance with its existing physical con- 
ditions, as an instrument of the body. This opin- 
ion leads to the conclusion that mind is of no 
importance in a therapeutic sense, save that it 
should be kept quiet until the physical body can 
be healed through drug medication, when, it is 



supposed, the body will restore its own mind to the 
normal condition. 

Metaphysical philosophy shows this view of the 
construction and control of man's natural system to 
be not only erroneous, but exactly a reversal of the 
facts of life. 

Adequate study of all forms of sickness proves 
the existence of a mental origin for each case ; there- 
fore all maladies are mental rather than physical in 
their nature, being simply different degrees of mental 
distress registered in the physical system. 

Continued experiment demonstrates the fact that 
all forms of disease may be cured by changing the 
order of the mental action from which they orig- 
inally emanated. 

This is what Metaphysical Healing accomplishes. 
It occupies a field where medical knowledge is inad- 
equate, where materia medica is silent, and where 
medical practice is powerless to aid directly the 
millions who turn to it with confidence, in the hope- 
ful expectation of scientific relief. 

The subject of the mental nature and cure of 
disease is worthy of the most careful examination by 
every intelligent thinker. The history of medical 
practice shows that in the treatment of disease the 
experience of the competent physician leads him away 



from the administration of drugs. The most sua 
ful physicians of the present day employ the least 
number and the smallest quantity of medicines — 
frequently none, even in severe cases. Why ? " The 
less there is employed of the right remedy the better 
the result produced ! " Such is the logic derived 
from these facts of practice. 

In the hope of finding possible remedies, experi- 
ment has been made with almost every known element 
of the earth ; and every minute part of the physical 
system has been examined, in order to discover its 
material rules of action. Yet to-day materia medica 
has no remedy for any sympathetic nervous disease, 
except some drug which intensifies nervous action 
often to the point of destroying the finer parts 
of the nervous system, or stupefies the faculties by 
partially paralyzing what yet remains undestroyed 
of that intricate system of finest nerves which are 
of most vital importance in physical existence: in 
fact, all the more important because too fine in 
construction to be examined through the instruments 
of sensation. 

This line of experiment frequently terminates in 
what perhaps is attributed to the supposed fatality 
of an existing disease. The result was really brought 
about, however, through the presence of a foreign 



136 

element introduced into the system, an element 
which destroyed the natural action that it was 
expected to restore, while the real cause passed 
unrecognized. Of course, the harm is unintentional, 
and the disastrous result deplored, perhaps in an 
agony of regrets, by the physician as well as by 
the patient's friends, but the error is none the less 
fatal for that reason. 

Under the theory of drug medication, when an 
organ or a function is unnaturally excited, the physi- 
cian aims to depress the nervous system and to 
discourage action, thereby to reduce vitality, until 
disturbance shall cease. When action is subnormal, 
the aim is to intensify action by means of a stimulant 
or other excitant, which causes an equally unnatural 
mode of molecular motion in the disturbed parts 
without in any degree increasing the amount of 
vitality present in the system. 

In either of these attempts to heal, the final result 
is a reduction of the vitality registered in the physical 
system; because all poisons injure, and most drugs 
destroy, some part of the finer nervous mechanism, 
thereby rendering the instrument imperfect, so that 
Mind, the real and intelligent operator — the only 
source of vitality in the human body — cannot register 
its highest and best modes of activity. As with a 



harp or piano ; when the strings belonging to any 
notes are broken, those tones can no longer be pro- 
duced, be the operator ever so skillful. 

The nervous system is the physical mechanism 
through which mind outwardly expresses its thoughts 
and registers its modes of action in the body. No 
person can physically live a moment without a nerv- 
ous system. No one can be actively intelligent on 
this life plane without the most finely constructed 
nervous system, in perfect condition and fully oper- 
ative. Every nerve dispensed with means a corre- 
sponding degree of physical power sacrificed, and 
under some circumstances lost, during the remainder 
of this life-period. 

For every material element contained in the 
earth there is a corresponding mental element, or a 
mode of activity in Universal Mind ; the correspond- 
ence is exact and the laws run parallel. 

Every drug is accompanied by a mode of sub- 
conscious mental activity of a degraded order, Avhich 
is so foreign to the nature of the mental organism 
and to the natural construction and operation of the 
higher divisions of the nervous mechanism, that nor- 
mal action is impossible while it is present. The 
physical and the mental of a parallel grade accom- 
pany each other: moral and physical degradation go 



i33 

hand in hand. The inevitable moral degradation of 
those addicted to the habitual use of either alcohol 
or opium illustrates this principle. 

The average patient expects that the drug admin- 
istered will act with curative effect upon the disease 
which is supposed to be present, and believes that 
alcohol and other drugs possess substance and sus- 
taining power which are needed in reconstructing 
the depleted system. But, in fact, healthy tissue 
is built only by nature and from natural food in- 
gredients, — never in any instance from a poisonous 
preparation. Every drug is a poison, which enters 
the circulation in the same manner as other poisons. 
Nature rejects unnatural ingredients and expels them 
from every part of the physical system by the most 
energetic means, because they are useless in the 
construction of healthy tissue. They are against, 
not for, health. The atomic construction and 
molecular form of drugs is unlike that of any part 
of the human system. There is no health either 
in a poison or in any of its attendant effects. 

The tremendous effort made by nature to eject 
from the system any foreign element of a poisonous 
character sometimes leads to the erroneous conclu- 
sion that the element contains in itself genuine 
power-producing forces, which are adapted to establish 



139 

natural action and to restore health. On the con- 
trary, the system is frequently depleted of its vitality 
by the serious drain made upon it in disposing of 
the useless element, resulting in harm which more 
than counterbalances any good that could be ex- 
pected from distorted action inevitably following the 
introduction of a drug. 

If for any reason nature fails to eject the drug 
introduced, mind deserts the physical system, because 
it has been rendered unfit for its purpose. 

Drugs frequently change molecular construction 
in either blood or nerve fluid by destroying the mole- 
cules themselves, thereby producing chemical combi- 
nations for which nature has no use, and depriving 
the system of its natural sustenance. In this con- 
dition mental action, whether right or wrong, can not 
clearly express itself, and so temporary relief in mere 
sensation is sometimes gained, though at the cost of 
partial destruction of the most important nerves. 

If the fact was generally understood that in the 
physical body any degree of action necessary to the 
restoration of health may readily be produced through 
rightly directed thought energy, this worse- than-use- 
less forcing of the vital organs into distressing modes 
of action would cease, and many valuable lives 
would be prolonged for future usefulness. 



People remain under the unhappy influences of 
disease and drugs only because the true laws of life 
are unknown to them. False opinions with regard to 
the nature, scope and power of disease and its true 
remedies almost universally prevail, because erroneous 
ideas of life based upon a physical structure only are 
commonly taught. These ideas have developed almost 
imperceptibly during study of the controlled body as 
the real man, instead of the controlling mind. This 
study has been pursued entirely upon the inade- 
quate and unreliable evidence of the five physical 
senses, while the permanent activities of the indi- 
vidual and his more reliable senses of higher per- 
ception have been largely ignored. Information thus 
gained is incomplete and, if trusted literally, will be 
misleading in many ways. 

The fallacious theory that healthy tissue can be 
produced either from or because of the presence of 
that which can only result in destruction of tissue, 
has already filled uncounted millions of untimely 
graves. Will you, intelligent reader, allow this theory 
to mislead you, or will you clon the cap of logic 
and the coat of reasonable analysis, enter the field 
of investigation, and learn for yourself the principles 
because of which you live, and the laws of mental 
action through which your physical system has been 



developed? If you learn these truths thoroughly, 
disease will lose the terrors of its supposed power 
over you and yours, and untimely death will cease 
to haunt you as a possible outcome of nearly every 
simple act of life. 

Effort to cure nervous troubles will generally 
result in failure until adequate study of the Mental 
mechanism and its Spiritual faculties is accom- 
plished, when it will be discovered that the body 
is an adjunct of the mind, not vice versa as frequently 
supposed, and that it is built and sustained by mind, 
which is the controlling element under all circum- 
stances. In fact it has already been proved in 
thousands of careful experiments that Mind is a 
living, intelligent Entity, having a nature, a system 
and a life of its own. The body reflects mental 
activity in physical element, and thus is built, partly 
destroyed or reconstructed, according as mind change? 
its modes of action. 

Mind is the Intelligence of the body. Mind thinks : 
its Thought is registered on the body in physical 
element. The thought is a model of the idea : 
the body and its conditions are a constructed copy 
of the model. When the model changes, the copy 
correspondingly changes. This rule holds good with 
regard to every part of the system, but is especially 



true of the most finely constructed parts, because 
these are subject to the quickest changes. In the 
finest nerve mechanism important changes frequently 
occur instantaneously, while in the coarser structure 
of bone, cartilage and ligament, they take place 
more slowly. 

The instant the mental cause ceases its dis- 
turbing . vibrations nature begins natural restorative 
activity in every part of the physical system; this 
is as certain as that water will run down hill. All 
that is necessary, then, is that a correct diagnosis of 
the Mental Influences be obtained and that the 
mental changes be rightly produced by an under- 
standing mind. 

In this perfectly natural way any case of sickness 
is curable by metaphysical treatment, provided there 
still remains enough of the substructure for nature 
to build upon. Unless there be something for nature 
to work upon, cure of that case by any means is 
manifestly impossible. 

When these truths are intelligently comprehended 
the fact becomes evident that disease — whatever 
its name or nature — must originate in some 
mental activity afterwards registered in the body, 
where that mode of action is outwardly expressed. 
Knowledge of this fact is the key to accurate diag- 



nostication and a sure guide to an adequate Mental 
Therapeutics. In such understanding, mind possesses 
most valuable powers, alike prophylactic, pathological, 
and therapeutical. 

The discovery of this eternal fact in regard to 
man's mental and physical structure is an electric 
search-light thrown upon this hitherto darkened field 
of inquiry. By understanding clearly how mind acts 
to produce conditions of disease, and how it may 
be led to act in an opposite direction to result in 
health, the right remedies for all the ills to which 
flesh has been supposed to be heir become evident. 

Through knowledge of the natural laws of human 
existence, based upon intelligent understanding of the 
fundamental principles of Spiritual Life, each thinking 
mind has power to reverse every wrong mode of 
action and to establish right conditions. Exercise 
of this power in removing disease is a legitimate 
Mental Cure. Its nature is Metaphysical. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ANGER 

How Mental Action Causes Disease. 

The mental state commonly known as anger 
forcibly illustrates the line of action in which mind 
produces physical results. 

The English word Anger is derived from the 
Latin angor, which means " Compression of the 
neck; strangling: from anger e, to press together; 
to choke, especially of the mind; to torture; to vex." 

Anger is a passionate emotion of the mind. It 
is expressed in various degrees of intensity, ranging 
from slight fear of loss or other harm because of 
supposed injustice, to the most furious degree of 
rage, based upon imaginary hatred of another. 

Hatred is a false element which possesses no 
genuine quality and is destitute of principle. Rage, 
when forced to its final limits, ends in impotence; 
this proves its native nothingness. 



Anger has no harmonious modes of action. It 
originates on the lower plane of sense- existence, and 
is brutal in its nature. Definite physical conditions 
invariably follow the mental act. To test this state- 
ment, analyze both the mental and physical conditions 
of an angry person and note the correspondence 
existing between the two. 

In cases of extreme anger, the eyes violently snap 
in discord, the jaws are set and the teeth grind 
together expressing the thought of destruction in- 
dulged in mind. The hands clench and the fingers 
clutch convulsively, evincing an inclination to de- 
stroy the object of supposed hatred. All muscles 
are tense, strained and abnormal, while their action 
is acute in nature, angular in character, destructive 
in intention and tendency. Every faculty and every 
function is distorted. 

Under the influence of anger the action of the 
heart is also seriously disturbed. It beats in convul- 
sive throbbings, forcing destructive modes of motion 
upon the blood corpuscles, which modes in turn are 
conveyed to every vital organ. The face either 
flushes or pales, as blood is forced to the surface or 
withdrawn to the internal organs in congestion. 
Digestive processes are instantly checked, and do not 
proceed until natural circulation of the blood is 



i 4 6 

restored. The kidneys secrete acids generated by 
the destruction of natural blood corpuscles; these 
acids bear direct correspondence to the false and 
destructive character of vengeful thoughts. 

The lungs contract unnaturally and move in 
spasmodic gasps ; in which every breathing function 
is either paralyzed or distorted, resulting in serious 
interference with respiration. In healthy action the 
lungs perform the final process of digestion by oxygen- 
ation of the digested food before it passes into the 
blood for use in building new tissue. During healthy 
activity, which proceeds naturally from harmonious 
thought, an abundance of pure oxygen is extracted 
from the air inhaled and perfect digestion ensues; 
but, during the inverted action which results from 
indulgence of angry thought, oxygen is discarded, 
while Nitrogen is generated and retained beyond its 
normal proportion; thus interfering with the most 
important part of the process of digestion and assim- 
ilation, to the future detriment of every organ and 
function of the physical system. If a state of 
angry feeling or ill temper be allowed to become 
chronic, a similar disturbance of some or all of the 
vital, digestive, secretive and excretive organs and 
functions ensues. Disease of all kinds is generated 
spontaneously under these inharmonious conditions. 



While responding to angry influence every muscle 
of the body is under tension, and drawn to some 
extent out of its natural position. If anger be con- 
tinued, muscular tension persists, followed by chronic 
contraction, with or without painful sensation, accord- 
ing to circumstances. Muscular rheumatism is fre- 
quently generated in this manner. Any line of mental 
action which places the muscles under continuous ten- 
sion may result in some form of muscular rheumatism. 
Fright frequently becomes an active cause of acute 
rheumatism, which will assume muscular forms if the 
reflected mental action places the muscles under ten- 
sion; or inflammatory forms if the picture carries in 
its activity the element of burning, as in a mental 
picture of flames or any intensely inflammatory 
thought. The details of the symptoms vary with the 
different causes, but the principles involved are 
identical. 

Under the influence of anger, the spasmodic mus- 
cular distortions of the heart produce violent valvular 
agitation, which is the exact representation of some 
forms of action in cases of valvular disease of the 
heart. If the disturbing cause be perpetuated, the 
valves continue to register the wrong action until 
it finally becomes a fixed habit, and some form 
of valvular disease becomes established. The first 



148 

physical stage of this disease is functional, but if 
not arrested it finally develops to organic. 

All forms of heart disease, including rheumatism 
of the heart, are caused by certain modes of mental 
action, generated by anger, fear, or some other abnor- 
mal emotion. The final symptoms are the direct 
result of the particular form of action established 
and continued, let the cause of that action be what 
it may. ' In the final analysis of Anger we always 
find Fear as its foundation. These two emotions 
are closely allied. 

The direct action of the heart upon the blood 
is a point worthy of serious consideration here, 
because disturbance of the circulation affects all vital 
organs and interferes with every physical function. 
Anger, reflected in explosive heart throbs, resembling 
blows given under impulse of hatred, fires the blood 
with poison passion, which explodes molecules, destroys 
blood corpuscles, and decomposes tissue, generating 
chemical combinations unnatural and injurious to the 
entire physical structure. If abnormal action of the 
heart continues a fever may develop, with character- 
istics corresponding to the nature of the causative 
mental action, whether it be anger, fear, excitement, 
worry or grief. All these mental states result in fever 
under suitable conditions. An abnormal degree of 



149 

temperature and rate of the pulse are direct physical 
effects of distorted mental emotion. 

Destructive modes of action established in the 
blood immediately extend to those vital organs which, 
* in their action, respond to the mental faculties that 
were involved in the wrong thought, and a corre- 
sponding disturbance is likely to develop within that 
organ. 

Interference with the natural action of the liver 
causes the secretion of a poisonous bile which, in 
character, corresponds exactly to the angry nature of 
the original cause of the disturbance. Because of 
direct reaction upon the liver through the blood, 
malarial symptoms are a common outcome of anger, 
fear, grief, dread, or protracted worry. 

Bilious, typhoid and puerperal fevers frequently 
follow directly upon some violent outbreak of temper, 
either on the part of the patient or of some associate. 
Fright or great fear, particularly if accompanied by 
rage, may produce the same result. Fright prepares 
the way by undermining the nervous forces and 
weakening resistance, when an experience of anger 
may precipitate the trouble and determine the par- 
ticular features of the disease to become established. 
In this event Fright would be the predisposing 
cause, and Anger the precipitating cause of the bilious 
or malarial attack. 



Unless counteracted by a change of mental action, 
acids generated in the blood through chemical de- 
composition eventually destroy the natural secretive 
powers of the kidneys, which results in muscular 
degeneration, and develops kidney diseases as the 
ultimate of destructive action. Extreme fright and 
protracted worry also frequently produce this result. 

The physical action established while yielding to 
angry impulse is a natural outcome of the thought 
indulged, while the corresponding disease is the 
immediate result of the particular thought-action. 
The mental condition is registered and re-enacted 
in the nervous system, producing its perfect copy in 
this as in other phases of human existence. The 
Body does not make the mind angry, but the Mind 
causes the body to re-enact the morbid state gener- 
ated by wrong thought. 

It is imperative that distorted thought should 
pass away before the body can cease to register and 
express distorted action. Attempt to remedy the 
bodily conditions first is not only a waste of effort, 
but, if persisted in, may result disastrously. 

The disease caused by anger is a physical condition 
resulting from a previously established mental state. 
What is the right remedy ? In a cure of the bodily 
condition the muscles must relax, the jaws loosen, 



the eyes become quiet, and again express kindly 
thoughts; natural color should return to the face, 
and the agitated, trembling, nervous system once 
more become tranquil. How shall we proceed to 
bring about these results ? Shall we rub the tense 
muscles with oil or with liniment to loosen them, 
pry open the set jaws and lubricate their joints, 
or sever a muscle in the eye to stop its angry snap ? 
Shall we put some drug in the stomach to complete 
the destruction of blood corpuscles, when the disturb- 
ance is already as great as the system can bear, or 
paralyze the heart to arrest its spasmodic movements ? 

" Ridiculous ! " is probably the exclamation of 
many who read these questions ; yet corresponding 
acts are performed every day in cases of illness 
where the mental cause is equally evident, and would 
be readily recognized if the actual state of mind was 
duly considered. The proper cure for every case of 
this kind in any stage of its development lies not 
in treating physical results but in re-establishing 
correct mental action. 

How, then, may a mental remedy be applied ? In 
the simplest form some quiet words should be spoken 
in a pleasant manner, and in a tone of voice as nearly 
opposite in character to the morbid state of mind as 
possible. Frequently under such influence the mental 



^52 

state soon changes, the anger begins to fade, the eye 
quiets, the muscles relax, the set jaws resume their 
natural position, the heart ceases to throb and gradu- 
ally resumes its normal action, the rate of the pulse 
is reduced, color returns to the surface of the skin, 
and natural action eventually results in every part of 
the body. Why? Because Anger has ceased in 
mind, and there is no longer any element present to 
control the body through discord. The natural force 
of Love and attraction is allowed to resume its 
harmonious sway. The physical organs are obliged 
to respond to the natural action now re-established 
in mind — they have no choice in the matter. 

If, however, after due persuasion, quiet words are 
not heeded and angry thought still continues, then 
Metaphysical Influence may be directly applied, 
accomplishing what nothing else can. Silently that 
disturbed mind may be reached by thoughts of 
calm, which, through the natural laws of mutual 
attraction, will compel it to listen and to cease its 
useless controversy. 

In metaphysical treatment the mind is reached 
on the spiritual plane of Intelligence, where the 
attraction of love for all humanity prevails, in per- 
fect sympathy with every troubled soul, and where 
anger is forever unknown. The angry person was 



acting on the sensation plane, that of self-will, where 
thought is temporarily brutalized in selfish act. Be- 
cause of the repellent nature of this kind of thought, 
he impulsively resists every effort to approach him 
consciously, with an idea different from his present 
indulgence, if it be expressed in spoken words ; but 
when Intelligence is appealed to in silent thought 
above the brute-will plane, his higher nature re- 
sponds; he ceases angry thought, and the good result 
is already accomplished. 

The opinion is commonly expressed that the result 
of anger is only a temporary condition of discord 
in body — not a settled physical disease. The reply 
is : Anger is a mental condition of dis-ease, — the 
literal root-meaning of the word disease, — and if 
allowed to continue, it settles into a chronic mental 
state, capable of developing to any degree of inten- 
sity. Through the natural correspondence of physical 
condition with mental activity, a definite form of dis- 
ease is thereby established in the body. This- disease 
is mental in nature as well as in origin; therefore 
the most natural cure would seem to be the removal 
from mind of the thought of hatred, anger, fear, 
terror, or any mental discord which generated the 
wrong physical action from which the disease ema- 
nated. Experience proves that when this is accom- 



plished the disease immediately begins to decrease, 
as when steam is shut off from an engine the 
machinery instantly begins to reduce speed and will 
eventually stop for want of motive power. 

Fear is a painful mental emotion. 

Anger is a passionate mental discord. 

Disease is a conscious morbid distress. 

Mind is a necessary factor in emotion, passion or 
consciousness; therefore, fear, anger and disease can 
not originate apart from mind or without mental 
action. 

Disease may originate without conscious recog- 
nition of its accompanying mental action ; but if mind 
be entirely absent it does not even begin to develop. 
If there is no thought, there can be no disease. 

Mind is matter's motive power; Thought, its 
active impulse. 



CHAPTEE XI. 

THE INFLUENCE OF FEAR IN SICKNESS. 

Discordant Emotion and Its Results. 

Most persons know instinctively that it is best 
not to be afraid, but comparatively few are aware 
that Fear actually results in physical disease. Yet 
this fact has been repeatedly proved in Metaphysical 
practice by cases where the removal of the mental 
image producing some overpowering degree of fear 
was followed by permanent relief from a physical 
ailment which had been pronounced incurable. 

This subject is worthy of patient examination by 
all thinkers. It is of vital importance, though com- 
monly set aside with the remark : " Yes, I know 
that fear sometimes makes sick people worse, because 
they are already nervous and imaginative, and it is 
always well not to be afraid. But I am not imagin- 
ative nor hysterical; my sickness is a real physical 
disease, and fear has nothing to do with it. I am 



156 

not afraid of anything, yet I am sick; consequently, 
the theory does not apply to my case or to any real 
sickness ; it can apply only to persons of weak minds 
and doubtful intelligence, who simply imagine them- 
selves sick." 

These and similar remarks are heard constantly 
by all mental healers. They are honestly made, and 
to the speakers seem conclusive ; but the opinions 
thus expressed indicate that the term Fear as used 
with reference to sickness, as well as the character 
and scope of its action, together with the nature and 
origin of disease, are entirely misunderstood. 

Haste in drawing conclusions on this subject is 
the greatest mistake that can be made. The subject 
contains truths of great and universal importance, 
while the principles involved lie at every door and 
bear directly upon each life in almost every detail 
of experience ; and this because Fear in some degree 
abounds everywhere, and every life is in some meas- 
ure influenced by its destructive action. The only 
safety lies in knowing the nature and cause of its 
action, and in understanding how to avoid or how 
to counteract its baneful influence. 

Every sick person is either consciously or sub- 
consciously under the influence of the mental image 
of some experience, which at the time of its occurrence 



generated discordant mental emotion of some kind — 
perhaps fear in some degree, either in his own mind 
or in that of some person from whom it was re- 
ceived through the reflection of the mental image. 
This is not always conscious fear. There are numer- 
ous activities in mind of which we are not immedi- 
ately conscious, and many forms of fear that are not 
recognized as such — in fact, are not recognized at 
all save through the outward effect in corresponding 
physical agitation. 

Fear is a mental emotion, based upon lack of 
confidence or apprehension of injury or danger. It 
has many degrees, varying all the way from slight 
dissatisfaction down through grades of discontent and 
unhappiness, doubt, apprehension, solicitude, anxiety, 
worry, dread, repulsion, loathing, hatred, anger, 
horror, hopelessness, fright, terror, shock — perhaps 
followed by insensibility or total unconsciousness on 
the physical plane, the ultimate of which is the 
state spoken of as death. 

All these emotions are direct results of the varying 
degrees of fear. Each shares the general charac- 
teristics of the state known as being afraid of some- 
thing; for the objective point of each similar state 
of mind is some thing, person, influence or action not 
desired, and hence feared in direct ratio to its unde- 



-53 

sirability. The existing mental state is frequently 
the result of thought applied to that subject with 
relation to its probable effect on the happiness of 
one's own life, or perhaps indirectly, on the hap- 
piness of another. It is an emotional state of mental 
unrest, unease, disquiet — that is, of dis-ease. 

A thought of disquiet will register as physical 
un-ease, and corresponding sensations will pulsate 
through the finest nerves. If severe or long-con- 
tinued, this condition of unrest or disquietude settles 
into nervous dis-ease and a Disease of the nerves 
becomes established. This disturbed condition of the 
circulation of nerve fluids is transferred to and cor- 
respondingly registered in the blood circulation, and 
diseases of the blood ensue. These register on the 
vital organs and through the various tissues of the 
body, producing with different physical systems every 
variety of disease. The detail of each disease varies 
according to individual circumstances, but all bear 
direct relation to the corresponding degree of the 
mental emotion of fear by which they were generated. 

Some physicians deny these facts; but those who 
have had large experience recognize that, in some inex- 
plicable manner, fear does sometimes cause sickness. 
They usually argue, however, that when it has become 
established, the organic disease is an independent 



physical thing, and a material remedy must be admin- 
istered in order to produce a cure. This conclusion 
is inconsistent with the premise, and illogical in 
view of demonstrated facts. Similar opinions prevail, 
because the universal laws through which mind con- 
trols the nervous system are not well understood. 
The fertile field of Mental Therapeutics has not been 
investigated to any appreciable extent by these think- 
ers; therefore, a material remedy for the apparently 
physical disease is considered a necessity. 

Mind acting on the super-conscious plane of 
natural activity builds its own body in healthy 
tissue and keeps it strong. But in acting sub-con- 
sciously through fear each mind partially unbuilds 
its body by modes of action which correspond to 
the uncertain thought entertained. 

If mind, through fear, loses self-control and be- 
comes completely absorbed in the thought of destruc- 
tion, it literally deserts its body because of the fright 
occasioned by the mental picture of death by accident. 
This was entirely unnecessary, and if the thought- 
picture had not been formed it would not have oc- 
curred. If this picture had been changed or removed, 
there would have remained no incentive to the act. 

If the body is rendered a useless machine by 
injury, Mind, its active intelligence, deserts it; this 



is commonly called death. The physician frequently 
attributes this change to heart disease or " heart fail- 
ure." The question, for an answer to which the 
people look to Science, is, Why did that heart fail 
at that particular time ? Until the advocates of 
Materia Medica can answer this question intelli- 
gently, with a real remedy for unnecessary occur- 
rences of the kind, their therapeutics has no claim 
to be considered an exact science, and no moral right 
to exclusive practice. Metaphysics answers this 
question, with an application of principles which 
releases many a victim from hitherto unrecognized 
influences which have been hastening him over the 
border, while medical science confidently signed the 
death warrant. 

Through knowledge, mind has control of its body, 
and may carry it safely through many of the occur- 
rences which would otherwise result in bringing life 
on the physical plane to an untimely end. 

In the practice of Metaphysical Healing this 
theory has been successfully applied in thousands of 
instances, all the evidence of which goes to prove 
that if the fear or mental unrest which originated 
the physical condition be removed the mental action 
soon changes, its reflection in the nervous system 
disappears, and, as a natural consequence, nerve cir- 



i6i 



dilation is re-established. The Brain becomes quiet, 
the rate of the pulse returns to the normal, the tem- 
perature is oftentimes reduced almost immediately, 
respiration becomes natural, sleep returns under the 
quieting influence of pure and restful Thought, diges- 
tion is improved and finally restored, whereupon per- 
fect assimilation is followed by natural rebuilding of 
every part of the system. 

Super-conscious mental action is the only recon- 
structive agency. Nature, which is Universal Mind 
in harmonious action on the super-conscious plane, 
is always ready to begin natural restorative pro- 
cesses the instant that obstructions .to her modes of 
action are removed. 

Knowledge of Metaphysical Principles enables one 
to begin immediately the removal of mental obstruc- 
tions, and aids in establishing mental quiet, cheer- 
fulness, courage and hope. With these conditions 
present, Nature again assumes her sway and life 
renews the vigor of the system. 

When once entered upon, Metaphysical diagnostic 
cation for mental causes of nervous and physical dis- 
eases becomes an extremely interesting study. The 
investigation is most fascinating, not only because 
an insight is gained into the nature of these disturb- 
ances, but also because the intricate workings of the 



mental mechanism are so clearly denned through the 
Imaging process of Thought as to compel astonishment 
at the extent, rapidity, intensity and endurance of 
Thought-activity, as well as at the infinite variety 
of results produced by its reflection. 

The immediate correspondence between the 
Thought- picture and its physical copy in the nervous 
system is an exceedingly interesting and important 
feature of diagnosti cation. 

The line of Thought-activity which caused the 
sickness will be in some measure like the sickness 
itself; i.e., in some one or more ways the same modes 
of action will exist in both the mental cause and 
the physical effect — the same laws of activity will be 
manifested in each. This resemblance one to the 
other is always marked, and often exact in every 
particular. Frequently the mental action is very 
intense ; then the physical agitation is severe and the 
accompanying sensations correspondingly acute in 
their appearance. Each mode of action appearing in 
any physical condition accurately denotes a Law in- 
volved in the mental act from which that condition 
proceeds. The degree of intensity is always modified 
somewhat, though never wholly changed, by the 
mental nature of the individual. 

Every distinct feature of the bodily ailment is an 



i6 3 

exact copy of the Mental Image of some one or more 
features in a Thought-picture existing in the mind of 
the sufferer, either from direct thought, conscious or 
sub-conscious, or reflected there from thought-activity 
generated in other minds. If this picture had not 
been formed in mind, or its reflection had not been 
absorbed, the sickness could not have occurred; if its 
action can be made to cease the sickness will disap- 
pear. With an adequate understanding of the prin- 
ciples involved in these facts it becomes possible to 
trace back directly from the physical symptom to 
the corresponding mental emotion which caused it. 
This once removed, the road to recovery is easy 
and certain. 

The natural steps in this Thought-process are as 
follows : 

(a) In conscious thought a Mental Picture is 
developed. 

(b) The mental picture is reflected, producing 
Nervous Action. 

(c) That Action is registered in and through the 
tissue of the physical body. 

(d) A corresponding bodily condition, more or 
less permanent, is the inevitable result. 

Many people have experienced fear, the remem- 
brance of which causes a chill to pass along the spine. 



1 6 4 

a cold perspiration to start, or a shudder to vibrate 
through the system. Some people faint repeatedly for 
no other reason than the sub- conscious recurrence in 
mind of a past fearful experience; others feel dizzy, 
and inclined to fall, for the same reason. It is 
common to hear such expressions as " It makes me 
shudder to think of the danger/' " I tremble at the 
remembrance of that situation," " My heart sinks at 
the thought of how near death came to me," " My 
teeth chatter at the very sound," " I dream of a 
similar occurrence and awake in fright," and others 
of like character. 

In many such cases the season of the year, the 
day of the month or week, or the particular hour of 
day or night at which an accident happened, act as a 
coincidence to call the picture into sub-conscious action. 
Thereupon the original fear returns and an attack of 
illness is experienced which is the immediate result of 
that disturbed nervous action, and bears direct corre- 
spondence to the particular picture formed at the 
moment of the accident. Nearly every acute disease 
is generated in this manner through laws of corre- 
sponding mental action. 

All the earnest physicians of the civilized world 
are searching through every substance upon earth, 
in all possible combinations, for material remedies for 



i6 5 

these diseases. Think you such will be found? Not 
while the imaging faculty of mind continues to register 
and retain the features of scenes of fright. So long 
as Mental Imaging continues to be the law of mental 
action the nervous system will persist in expressing a 
nervous copy of the mental impression, and the best of 
humanity — because the most sensitive and responsive 
— will continue to slip through the fingers of Materia 
Medica practitioners in spite of experience, skill and 
watchful care, together with consultations of learned 
men and concoction of remedies without number. 

This is not in any particular an overdrawn pict- 
ure or an exaggerated statement. It is the common 
experience of all civilized communities. Millions 
annually pass from this plane of life for no other 
reason than that the imaging faculty of the human 
mind and its natural effects are not understood, while 
other millions live but to suffer the torture of harass- 
ing thought -pictures generated either in physical 
accidents or in morally wrong lines of thought- 
action . 

A striking illustration of the effect of an impres- 
sion left upon the mind by a scene of terror is con- 
tained in an experience of the late Charles Dickens, 
an account of which is given in the concluding install- 
ment of an extremelv interesting; reminiscent series 



of six papers, entitled " My Father As I Eecall 
Him," by Mamie Dickens.* 

In the number for April, 1893, Miss Dickens 
writes : "It was while on his way home . . . that 
he was in the railroad accident to which he alludes in 
a letter which I quoted in the last number of these 
reminiscences, saying that his heart had never been 
in good condition since that accident. It occurred 
on the ninth of June, a date which, five years later, 
was the day of his death." Then follows a letter 
written by himself, describing in detail the accident 
from which he escaped in a marvelous way : "I have 
— -I don't know what to call it — constitutional (I sup- 
pose) presence of mind, and was not in the least 
fluttered at the time, but in writing these scanty 
words of recollection I feel the shake and am obliged 
to stop." Miss Dickens further explains : " We heard 
afterwards how helpful he had been at the time, 
ministering to the dying ! How calmly and tenderly 
he cared for the suffering ones about him I But he 
never entirely recovered from the shock." More than 
a year later the novelist wrote : 

"It is remarkable that my watch (a special chro- 
nometer) has never gone quite correctly since, and 
to this day there sometimes comes over me, on a 

♦Published in "The Ladies' Home Journal," Philadelphia, Pa. 



167 

railway train or any sort of conveyance, for a few 
seconds, a vague sense of dread that I have no power 
to check. It comes and passes, but I can not prevent 
its coming." 

Miss Dickens adds : "I have often seen this dread 
come upon him ; and on one occasion . . . my father 
suddenly clutched the arms of the railway-carriage 
seat while his face grew ashy pale and great drops of 
perspiration stood upon his forehead ; and though he 
tried to master the dread, it was so strong that 
he had to leave the train at the next station. The 
accident had left its impression upon the memory, 
and it was destined never to be effaced. The hours 
spent upon railroads were thereafter often hours of 
pain to him. I realized this often while traveling with 
him, and no amount of assurance could dispel 
the feeling." 

In this account it is clearly evident that this 
accident was considered the cause of his nervous 
trepidation and of the suffering which no one could 
then relieve. 

To quote again from the same paper, in regard 
to his last hours : " He made an earnest effort to 
struggle against the seizure w T hich was fast coming 
over him, and continued to talk, but incoherently 
and very indistinctly. It being now evident that 



i68 

he was in a serious condition, my aunt begged him 
to go to his room . . . ' Come and lie down,' 
she entreated. ' Yes ; on the ground,' he answered, 
indistinctly. These were the last words that he 
uttered as he sank to the floor. On the following 
day . . . with a shudder, a deep sigh, and a 
large tear rolling down his cheek, his spirit left us — 
the evening of the ninth." 

To those who understand the natural effect of 
mental pictures of distress, every feature of the last 
scene in Mr. Dickens's life corresponds clearly to the 
mental experience of that accidental occurrence. 

The entire scene was retained in his mind as a 
picture. As the anniversary approached this picture 
became intensely active — perhaps he had been con- 
sciously thinking over the scene. Reaching the absolute 
degree of realization, it was reflected in his nervous 
system in imitation of the scene. The first feature of 
the picture was the fright which occurred at the 
moment of the accident. This was clearly expressed 
in his sudden attack of illness. The next feature was 
the mental shock from horror at the devastation and 
destruction of human life, with the picture of people 
dying while lying upon the ground, and whom he 
was helpless to save. This was clearly expressed in 
his last words, given in response to the request to lie 



i6g 

down, " Yes, on the ground," although he was then 
in the house. At the last moment the self-centering 
of the ultimate realization of death scenes in the acci- 
dent is so clearly expressed in the shudder of horror, 
the sigh of hopelessness, and the large tear of sym- 
pathy, that there is little doubt but that his soul 
passed from this life during and because of sub- 
conscious realization to the ultimate degree of the 
scene, of the accident from which he could not escape, 

Mental Imagery of the incidents and experiences 
of life, with its inevitable effects on the entire physical 
system, regardless of conscious recognition by the 
individual, has now become a well-attested fact, and 
it is also certain that, by acting in accordance with 
the laws of Mental Healing, all injurious mental 
impressions can be permanently effaced, and their 
after-effects avoided. 

This is the scientific ground upon which Meta- 
physical Healing stands, and the field of action in 
which to-day a nobler work is being performed for 
the human race than has ever before been exhibited 
to the world. Its beneficial power is not limited to 
the healing of bodily ailments, neither will its action 
cease when the last cure is effected. The principles 
of life involved in metaphysical healing extend to 
every moral action, and cover the entire diapason of 



i 7 o 

active life in the Mind, Soul and Spirit of the 
human individual. Its importance, therefore, can not 
be overestimated. 

The remedy foe every inharmonious state 
13 found in a reversal of the action which 
produced it. 

Incorrect Thought develops wrong Action, which 
must inevitably come to an end. Correct Thought 
establishes right Activity, which will endure forever 
in harmonious life on the spiritual plane. 

Reality is Kternal. 



CHAPTER XII. 

ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 

Cures that Have Been Effected. 

A few cases have been selected from among 
hundreds that have occurred in practice to illustrate 
the kind of thought-action in which disease generates. 
All depend upon the same fundamental laws of mental 
activity, varying only in individual circumstances. 
The evidence accumulated by experience with such 
cases proves beyond question that mind images every 
conscious Idea, and that those Ideas which relate to 
self-existence are re-enacted in the physical system. 

Case of A. — This man, about thirty-five years of 
age, suffered from a dull pain in one leg above the 
ankle, described as feeling like a broken bone. At 
times the spot was inflamed and swollen, with in- 
creased pain. A marked feature of the case was that 
on starting suddenly to catch a street car or a tram, 
the sensation would instantly change from dull to 



I 7 2 

acute pain, with such intensity as frequently to 
compel a stop. 

Inquiry revealed the following facts : About 
twelve years previous to this examination, he was 
standing on the platform of a railroad station while 
a passenger train was pulling out. When the train 
was well under way, a man came hastily from the 
waiting-room and attempted to get on board. He 
fell, and a, wheel took one leg off above the ankle. 
A was the first to reach the sufferer and render 
assistance. There were especially distressing features 
connected with the scene; but it was subsequently 
forgotten, and had not been consciously recalled for 
several years. Although not consciously remem- 
bered, this scene remained active sub-consciously, 
and caused the suffering previously described. 

Physical treatment had no remedial effect. Yet 
when the sudden fright caused by seeing another in 
danger was erased from his mind immediate relief 
followed; and within a few weeks every sign of the 
trouble disappeared. Nine years have elapsed, with 
no return of the symptoms. 

This case fairly illustrates the kind of mental 
action which causes disease. At the time of the 
accident the observer, while too far away to render 
precautionary assistance, was yet within ready view 



of every movement. Recognizing the danger, every 
mental emotion was at once called into intense activ- 
ity, and a mental photograph embodying every detail 
of the scene was instantaneously impressed upon 
mind, exactly as in the act of material photography. 
This Picture remained clearly delineated in the sub- 
stance of Mind, being always present though not 
continuously recognized, in the same manner as the 
picture remains on the photographer's plate, though 
it be for months out of sight and remembrance. So 
complete a coincidence as running for a car instan- 
taneously called the entire picture into intense activ- 
ity ; and acute pain, reflecting from the keen sense 
of danger sub-consciously imagined as present, at 
once throbbed through the nerves of the part which 
was the subject of injury in the original picture. At 
times sufficient agitation of tissue developed to result 
in inflammation. Conscious memory is not a necessary 
factor in this line of mental action. 

Through a process of conscious thought, based 
upon correct understanding of the laws of existence, 
metaphysical treatment causes such needless action to 
cease. When this is accomplished fear vanishes, and 
the sub-conscious illusion of continually living in a 
previous scene, with the accompanying false idea of 
danger, disappears. Thereupon its reflection in the 



physical tissue fades, and nature restores the usual 
health. This is a Metaphysical Cure. It is strictly 
scientific in character, because, with exact knowledge 
in regard to both cause and effect, it strikes directly 
at the root of the trouble and cures at once, knowing 
what is to be done, how it is done, and why it should 
be clone. Other methods are attempts to cure by 
influencing the imagination through some form of 
emotion, through faith in some outside power to do 
the work, or through a blind belief in the efficacy of 
a drug, which arouses some degree of imagination in 
the direction of a cure, while nature does the work. 

While some recover under all methods of treatment, 
owing partly to nature's tremendous recuperative 
powers, others succumb to the constantly active and 
unperceived influence of the original Mental Picture 
of distress. Still others pass away because unable 
to withstand the injurious influence of a foreign ele- 
ment introduced into the physical system as a remedy 
for a mental condition which is forever beyond the 
reach of anything more material than Thought itself. 

Case of B. — This was a young woman whose 
case had been medically diagnosticated as Bronchial 
Consumption. It did not yield to medical treatment. 
The patient was weak and nervous, with little endur- 
ance, a severe cough, bronchial and catarrhal inflam- 



175 

mation with throat complications, and extreme sensi- 
tiveness to moisture in the atmosphere. When ques- 
tioned, she explained that she coughed because of a 
feeling as though there was sand in the windpipe. 
She was attacked by frequent severe bronchial colds. 
The patient, her friends and her physician were 
completely discouraged. 

It was learned that a few weeks before the first 
cold which led up to the described condition, she was 
drowned to the extent of unconsciousness while surf- 
bathing. There were mental complications requiring 
continued treatment for a while, but this drowning 
was the original and the principal cause. The sub- 
conscious idea that she was continually re-enacting 
that scene of danger was removed through meta- 
physical treatment. Speedy relief followed, and in 
a few weeks the symptoms disappeared ; within three 
months her usual health was fully restored. Seven 
years have elapsed since the treatment, giving suf- 
ficient time to test the permanence of the cure. 

This woman, naturally strong and ambitious ; was 
rapidly passing beyond the line of physical endurance 
because of the influence of a mental picture of expected 
death from a past experience, in which no phvsical 
dariger any longer existed. The trouble was not the 
continuation of a physical injury, but continuance 



176 

of the mental impression of death which was formed 
during the accident, with its definite picture of water 
and sand as the means of destruction. In other 
words , it was not death, but the Thought of death, — 
a false Idea which was constantly at work underneath, 
reproducing itself in the physical tissue, undermin- 
ing health, and rapidly leading to the ultimate of 
its disturbing action. 

Drowning scenes produce every variety of disease 
of the respiratory organs, because the idea of danger 
is centered there, through fear of injury by inhaling a 
destructive foreign element. This thought continuing; 
in sub-conscious action becomes the cause of repeated 
attacks of nervous agitation. The only adequate 
curative influence is such as will remove the mental 
impression of danger and its consequent fear. To 
exercise such an influence is declared by many who 
are considered the world's greatest thinkers to be 
beyond human capability. Nevertheless, its exercise 
is an established fact of daily occurrence, and may 
be performed with some degree of success by any 
rightly informed individual. 

The necessity for some means of assistance for 
the mentally afflicted is suggested in the dialogue 
between Macbeth and his wife's physician : 



Macb. "How does your patient, doctor?" 

Doct. "Not so sick, my lord, 

As she is troubled with thick -coming 

fancies, 
That keep her from her rest." 

Macb. " Cure her of that. 

Canst thou not minister to a mind 
diseased ? 

Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, 

Raze out the written troubles of the 
brain, 

And with some sweet, oblivious anti- 
dote 

Cleanse the stuff 'd bosom of that peril- 
ous grief 

Which weighs upon the heart ?" 

Doct. "Therein the patient 

Must minister unto himself." 

Macb. " Throw physic to the dogs : I '11 none of it." 

Now, however, the victim of morbid fancies may be 
"ministered unto" in his otherwise hopeless affliction. 
Case of C. — A man of forty-five years, hearty and 
strong, not in the least given to vain imaginings, but 
on the contrary decidedly practical in nature and 
material in his tendencies, complained of muscular 
rheumatism in the arms and back. The first attack 
came with a severe influenza cold, supposed to have 
been contracted by exposure in wet weather. 



i 7 8 

It was learned that shortly before the first attack, 
and during a cold storm ; he— as an officer of the law, 
on duty in a public building — was attacked by a 
ruffian who had previously threatened his life, and 
was at that time creating a disturbance evidently 
with the purpose of carrying out the threat. The 
officer received a blow on the back from a heavy 
object, but succeeded in holding his ground and 
quelling the disturbance. The attack of influenza 
soon followed, leaving him with the painful feeling 
named rheumatism. 

The causative mental action in this case was 
established in the following manner; During the 
moments of intense excitement, while injury was 
anticipated in a general way only, a mental picture 
of general fear of harm, perhaps worse, was formed 
without definite expectation. This feature of the 
mental agitation caused the influenza symptoms, which 
are a general inflammation of the mucous membrane 
and agitation of the entire system, with the aching 
that accompanies either the idea of severe muscular 
strain or the effect of repeated blows. The fear, 
which at first was only general, finally centered in 
one spot by means of the blow, which instantly con- 
centrated all thought of injury at the point of 
impact. This final feature of the mental action 



caused the rheumatic pain in the back, which ex- 
tended somewhat to other parts from the idea of a 
necessity for muscular exertion as a means of protec- 
tion. All muscles that would naturally be called 
upon for protection under such circumstances shared 
the effects of the agitation established in mind. 

The scene described was metaphysically treated 
without his knowledge that it was to be done, the re- 
quest having been made by a member of his family and 
the treatment given in his absence, while the patient 
was, by material reckoning, nearly a thousand miles 
from the operator. Only the operator knew when 
the treatment was applied, neither did any one with the 
patient know certainly that the case was to be treated, 
no definite promise having been made. These facts 
exclude all possibility of any conscious act of imagina- 
tion or of personal faith, on his own part or on the 
part of any one present with him, to determine the 
change in his condition. They also preclude the 
possibility of magnetic or electrical influence of a 
physical character between the personality of the 
operator and that of the subject. Yet, soon after the 
treatment was applied in New York, the pain dis- 
appeared from the body of the patient in a Western 
State, and the disease which was said to have been 
generated by exposure to cold and wet weather, 



t8o 



vanished before a Thought-activity. Xo other possible 
reason save chance alone will intelligently account for 
this change. If it were an isolated case the question 
of chance might be entertained; but, in fact, it is 
only one among hundreds, differing in details, yet 
representing the same laws of Mental Action, and 
yielding to the same rules of application of the Uni- 
versal Principles of human life. The writer holds 
voluntary letters from this patient acknowledging a 
complete cure, without apparent reason and with no 
personal knowledge that he was to be treated. Six 
years have elapsed since the above treatment, and 
there has never been the slightest return of the trou- 
ble. Facts are stranger than fiction; like Banquo's 
ghost, they " will not down." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

CUBES THAT HAVE BEEN EFFECTED. 

(Continued.) 
Various Effects of Fright. 

Case of D. — In 1886 this patient applied for 
mental treatment. He was then about forty years 
of age, and suffered with what appeared to be disease 
of the kidneys, which was pronounced by physicians 
to be well advanced. He was weak and pale, and 
lacked nervous vitality. Headache and severe pain 
in the lower part of the back were distinct features 
of the case. He had constantly declined under 
medical treatment, and was much discouraged at the 
time he decided to try metaphysical treatment. 

A runaway accident that had occurred before 
the appearance of . the first symptom, was the cause 
of his trouble. The principal features of the picture 
he had retained of the accident were as follows : 
While driving down a long hill, something broke in 



such a way as to throw him upon his back on the 
front of the wagon. In fact, he nearly went under 
the horse's heels. He was unable to hold the horse 
or, indeed, to do anything but keep himself from 
sliding off. The horse ran at will, kicking at nearly 
every leap. For a time he had no hope of escaping 
death, but finally extricated himself and escaped un- 
harmed except by fright. 

The mental picture formed during that period of 
terror continued sub-consciously in action; and the 
scene was continually re-enacted in the ganglionic 
nervous system, constantly generating disturbed action 
in the entire physical structure. If during the 
runaway he could have extricated himself sufficiently 
to regain control of his muscular system, he could 
have held the horse and danger would have been 
avoided. When he found this impossible, there was 
pictured in mind a lack of muscular power, developing 
the idea of Muscular Insufficiency. Later this idea 
was outwardly expressed in that physical condition 
known as " Muscular Degeneration," centered in the 
kidneys, because of circumstances rendering those vital 
organs intensely responsive at the time of the fright. 
When the picture of his own expected death by 
violent means was erased from his mind the ailment 
yielded immediately and he rapidly recovered. He 



i8 3 

was carefully watched -for several years, but remained 
hearty and well with no sign of a return of the 
previous symptoms. 

In cases of this order, both the intensity of 
mental action and its subtlety in developing physical 
correspondences are almost incomprehensible. Knowl- 
edge acquired by careful study of these modes of 
action is rare and priceless. 

Case of E. — A gentleman of education, refine- 
ment and social advantages, had become intemperate 
in the use of alcohol. He had repeatedly declared 
that he would never again yield to temptation, and 
it was evident that he had made every effort to 
break off the habit, but without permanent success. 
In this state of mind he came to the writer for 
possible help, faithless, but despairing of other aid. 

Tracing back the history of the case, the follow- 
ing facts were disclosed : He yielded to temptation, 
each time, after struggling with an attack of extreme 
nervousness which increased until he felt he could 
bear it no longer. Then he would drink, which 
temporarily quieted the agitation of the nervous 
system. When the nervousness reappeared, repeated 
drinks were resorted to until the nervous attack 
subsided. 

It was learned that the nervous symptoms 



i8 4 

appeared before the taste for liquor; and that the 
family physician gave him whiskey for relief, having 
no real remedy for the trouble. The alcohol and 
other ingredients in the whiskey, by poisoning the 
finer nerves, deadened the sensibilities for a time, thus 
affording temporary relief. In this manner the 
patient had learned to take a drink, instead of send- 
ing for the doctor who would resort to the same 
means when called. Thus the habit was acquired 
and grew. 

Metaphysical philosophy shows that in all cases 
of this kind there exists a corresponding degree of 
mental agitation which is the direct cause of the 
nervous disturbance. Seeking for such a cause in 
this case, it was learned that before the first nervous 
attack the patient had been in a burning house sur- 
rounded by flames and, as it seemed, hopelessly cut 
off from escape. Death in a most horrible form 
seemed inevitable. He was rescued unharmed, though 
terribly frightened. Several spasms followed this 
fright ; these grew less severe as time went on. 
until they were finally replaced by frequent and 
severe attacks of nervous agitation. 

This experience was the original cause of his 
nervous attacks, and the habit was the outcome of 
the nervousness. In order to cure the habit the 



i8 5 

patient had to be relieved of the nervous condition. 
To relieve the nervousness, the mental agitation 
which caused it must be removed. To remove the 
mental agitation, the Mental Picture, which reacted 
upon the nervous system because of the persistence 
of the original thought of danger, must be rendered 
inoperative. 

The cure was accomplished in the case described 
by a process of thought which obliterated the 
distressing agitation of the existing mental picture 
of death by names — a danger which no longer 
existed. When this false idea was removed, its 
effect — the corresponding mental agitation — ceased. 
With the disappearance of the mental agitation, the 
nervousness also ceased, as no existing cause remained 
to perpetuate its action. When the nervousness 
failed to re-appear an appetite for something to 
quiet nervousness no longer existed — a human soul 
was freed from bondage and the man was cured! 
Three years have passed with no return of the desire 
for alcohol. 

Many cases of inebriety arise from similar causes, 
varying greatly in detail but not in principle of 
action. Under the influence of these sub-conscious 
Mental Pictures, men are as powerless to cure them- 
selves as though afflicted with neuralgia or rheutna- 



tism. Those who desire to discontinue the intem- 
perate habit — provided they will co-operate with the 
Metaphysician in such ways as may be necessary to 
understand the facts in the case — can readily be 
cured by metaphysical treatment. 

The Opium habit is frequently formed in the 
same way, and it is successfully treated by mental 
methods. Opium, instead of alcohol, is the medium 
employed to deaden sensibilities, but the reason for 
its use is the same, and the means of cure alike in 
both cases. Through its power to annihilate the 
disturbing mental picture which causes the nervous 
agitation, Metaphysical Healing is an adequate means 
of destroying both Intemperance and the Opium 
habit. To drug the human system into insensibility 
because the nervous system is unfortunately under a 
pressure of mental agitation, is unscientific and worse 
than useless. To erase from mind the agitating 
cause, in a harmless way, and thus put Nature 
again in control, is a method of procedure entirely 
reasonable and scientific. 

There are numberless ways in which Mind, act- 
ing through rapid and intense thought under the 
manifold influences of fear, reacts upon the millions 
of nerves in the physical system to produce disease; 



i8 7 

and a mental action rightly established in an opposite 
direction must inevitably result in a cure. 

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." 

Case of F. — This was a capable and energetic 
business man about forty-five years of age, troubled 
during a period of about thirty years with frequent, 
sudden and severe attacks of dysentery, and a con- 
stant tendency to inflammation of the bowels. When 
a lad he had suffered from repeated attacks of 
inflammation of the bowels, of a critical character. 
Later in life this derangement assumed the form of 
dysentery, accompanied by extreme nervousness, with 
intense excitement of the entire mental, nervous and 
physical mechanisms. 

Before the first appearance of inflammation of 
the bowels he had been attacked by ferocious animals 
that followed him a long distance, compelling him 
to strain every nerve to the last degree of both 
speed and endurance. He escaped from them, but 
shortly thereafter was attacked by the illness that 
quite as nearly threatened to terminate his life as 
did the original incident. 

The only cause of his frequent attacks of dysen- 
tery, through the period of thirty years, was that 
scene of terror, continually repeated in sub-conscious 



mental action, and reflected in a constant impulse to 
hurcy. This impulse was expressed in every mental 
act of his life, and re-enacted in every nerve-throb 
of organic action. But for the fact that he possessed 
a naturally strong constitution, both mentally and 
physically, he must have succumbed to these attacks. 
In that event, the real cause of death, though 
unrecognized, would have been the original fright. 
Metaphysical treatment removed that element of 
fear from the aggregate mental action of his life's 
experience, and the physical system was relieved of 
its predisposing tendency to haste, and of the result- 
ing indigestion in all its stages which had so often 
culminated in dysentery. Then the attacks ceased, 
and the system was gradually restored to healthy 
activity. 

This man, with perfect confidence, had thoroughly 
tried every means known to medical practice, but 
experienced no permanent relief. Drugs only further 
taxed his nervous system without removing the 
cause of his trouble. The cause was mental, there- 
fore only a Metaphysical process could reach it 
effectively. Others no doubt are in similar conditions 
because of the existence of like causes, and every 
such sufferer can readily be cured by a similar 
process of thought-action. 



Many cases have come under the writer's notice 
where severe strain — mental, nervous and physical, 
under the influence of intense fear while in the act 
of flight from a source of danger — has so interfered 
with digestion and assimilation as to produce all 
degrees of mal-assimilation, indigestion, dyspepsia, 
diarrhoea, dysentery, inflammation of the bowels and 
even consumption of the bowels, which is the ultimate 
of all these lines of disturbed action. 

The books of the medical schools give no informa- 
tion with regard to either the discovery or the 
removal of such causes of disease; therefore medical 
education does not enable one to perform a scientific 
cure in such cases. 

Case of G. — Eunning in a state of intense mental 
excitement to a fire in plain sight, but at considerable 
distance, where the lives of loved ones were in danger, 
caused one of the most severe cases of chronic inflam- 
mation of the bowels ever recorded. This case, after 
many years' duration and several months of "heroic" 
medical treatment with opium, was pronounced hope- 
less by several medical men of high rank, acting in 
consultation. Yet it was entirely cured, years ago, 
by metaphysical treatment. 

Case of H. — An especially severe case of insom- 
nia, complicated with nervous dyspepsia, was caused 



by fright developed during the running away of a 
pair of horses which the man was driving. They 
ended by going over an embankment, w T ith a com- 
plete smash-up, in which he expected to be killed. 
In fact, he stated that for the moment he thought 
he had been killed. This case was readily cured by 
metaphysical treatment, These symptoms may have 
different mental causes in other cases, but all result 
from distorted mental emotion, and the majority of 
them develop from some picture of fear which forms 
a mental image of injury or of death as the result 
of an accidental occurrence. 

Case of I. — Eight years ago this patient, twenty- 
five years of age, applied for relief from an aggra- 
vated form of chills and fever. With full confi- 
dence in its power, medical treatment had been thor- 
oughly tried, but had failed to cure. The patient was 
utterly faithless as regards the efficacy of mental 
influence in such a case, and frankly stated that 
he did not expect any benefit — he came only 
because urged by friends, and would remain only a 
sufficient time to prove that his case coidd not be 
reached by mental treatment. The chills were 
most violent, rendering him perfectly helpless for 
days at a time. He was employed at clerical work 
in a building located within a supposed malarious 



district. This was considered the reason for his 
condition. 

Inquiry elicited the information that before this 
illness began he, with others, was sailing on Long 
Island Sound, several miles from land, when the 
boat ran on a rock which was just under water at 
ebb-tide. A storm was gathering and the waves 
"ran high. There was no standing-place out of the 
boat, and there seemed to be no escape from drown- 
ing. After working for a long time in great fear, 
the boat was dislodged in a leaking condition and 
a landing for repairs was eventually made on an 
island. Here the patient had his first chill, and the 
attack was extremely violent. This attack was fol- 
lowed by others, similar in character, until he 
appeared for metaphysical treatment, which con- 
sisted in erasing the mental picture of death formed 
in his mind because of the apparently certain coming 
of that event. When this mental change was accom- 
plished, the chills ceased immediately and entirely. 
The case was cured in a few weeks and, although 
he continued to live and work in the same so-called 
" malarious district," he had no recurrence of mala- 
rious symptoms. 

If his disease was physical and the result of a 
physical cause, why did it vanish when only a mental 



change was made? This question has received no 
satisfactory answer through material reasoning, and 
it cannot be explained from any physical standpoint. 
The fact, however, stands out in bold relief, and 
cannot any longer be safely ignored. 

This case, also, has been duplicated in many 
instances where some overpowering degree of fear 
was discovered to have preceded the first chill, and 
where all symptoms vanished when the picture of 
death or injury was erased from mind. Mental 
treatment properly applied is universally successful 
with similar cases. Scepticism as regards its efficacy 
can exist only because of ignorance of these facts. 

Mental action in some form of fear underlies every 
case of chills ; — usually the picture of death by some 
dreaded means is involved in the active cause. A 
general idea of danger of death, as a result of some 
particular condition supposed to be present in a cer- 
tain locality, may sub-consciously spread from mind 
to mind through a community, by simple reflection 
of the mental picture of the Idea, causing an epidemic 
of "malaria," or other corresponding physical disease, 
to prevail. Eemove that Idea from the general 
mind of that community, by any means whatever, and 
the prevalent disease will vanish, even though the 
material conditions of the locality remain unchanged. 



193 

This has been proved repeatedly in numerous 
localities. It is susceptible of proof in any locality 
at any time. Scepticism with regard to the 
theory will neither save those unfortunates who are 
subjected to such deleterious mental influences, nor 
prevent those who gain understanding of the laws 
of mental action, from reaping the reward in con- 
tinued or restored health. 

Publishers of newspapers, in their zeal to circu- 
late what they are pleased to call news, are in many 
instances directly responsible for the spread of epi- 
demics, by suggesting a special Image in the minds 
of their community. Speaking figuratively, it is 
equally possible for them to reverse the engine and 
thereby help to produce the opposite result. When 
this truth is recognized, a grave responsibility will 
be seen to rest upon those intrusted with constant 
access to the minds of a community. 

Every thought has its accompanying Image, which 
in form, quality and character corresponds to the 
Idea entertained. While reading, persons form thought - 
pictures of the Ideas about which they read. These 
frequently become temporarily the dominant Ideas 
of life for each reader. The picture of the dominant 
Idea in mind multiplies in its reflections, extending 
to all receptive minds in a community. The trend 



of thought which prevails will show at least a color- 
ing from that Idea. 

Every thought, repeatedly indulged, leads event- 
ually to corresponding actions in life's experience. 
Thought and action are inseparable. 

The most powerful leader is he who places the 
highest and purest Ideas before the thinkers of 
a community. 

Pure Ideals perpetuate pure thoughts, inevitably 
resulting in right actions. Purity and Health are 
co-existent. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

MUSCULAK AND INFLAMMATORY 

CONDITIONS. 

Heart Disease, Fevers and Colds. 

The power of intelligence, as expressed in a 
process of thought working through the imaging 
faculty of mind to produce a corresponding physical 
condition, occupies a field of action so wide as to be 
almost incomprehensible : so deep in its sounding of 
human nature, and so weighty in its bearing upon 
the affairs of life as frequently to astound even the 
clearest thinkers — those most familiar with philosoph- 
ical study. Common minds usually content themselves 
with a flat denial that any such power exists, 
without having taken the trouble to investigate. 
Scepticism, however, does not bring the question of 
the nature and cause of disease any nearer solution ; 
neither does it in any respect dispose cf the 
demonstrations continually being made — demonstra- 



196 

tions which would be impossible if " the mental 
imager]/ of an idea, and the physical reflection of its 
image," were not real principles of human life, in 
some important measure intelligently understood by 
their demonstrators. 

As has been said, there are many particular ways 
in which the imaging faculty of mind is exercised 
through thought to cause disease in its manifold 
forms. Numbers of cases of muscular rheumatism 
have been traced directly to, and found to correspond 
exactly with the mental pictures of accidents — falls, 
runaways, and railroad or steamboat disasters. 

The reason for this correspondence is that, at the 
moment of the occurrence, anticipation of physical 
injury prompts the mind to instantly place some or all 
of the muscles of the body under tension, more or less 
rigid, according to the intensity of the fear. This 
nearly universal impulse denotes a sub-conscious 
belief that muscular tension will tend to protect 
from injury. On the contrary, when the physical 
body is rigid under muscular tension at the moment 
of concussion, the injury is greater than if all muscles 
are relaxed, and in a natural state of flexibility. 

The success of acrobats and tumblers in falling 
without injury depends upon knowledge of the 
safetv in relaxed muscles during such movements. 



The seemingly miraculous fact that infants or young 
children sometimes fall great distances and strike 
upon dangerous places, suffering little or no injury, 
is, perhaps, attributable to the circumstance that, 
not realizing danger, they are unconscious of fear, 
and the muscles are left free from tension at the 
moment of concussion. 

Under rigid tension during fear, the body becomes 
more compact and inelastic, falls rapidly and strikes 
like a stone, thus rendering fracture almost certain. 
Under natural, fearless consciousness, the muscles re- 
main flexible, and the body more expanded, in which 
condition it falls somewhat slower, striking more as 
would a soft substance, and thus receives less injury 
because offering less resistance. This is one reason — 
possibly the only one — why intoxicated persons fre- 
quently undergo falls and similar accidents, with 
less injury than others usually receive under similar 
circumstances; being in some degree unconscious of 
danger, muscular tension is not fully established. 

In the majority of accidents, physical injury pro- 
ceeds from, and corresponds to the state of resistance 
existing at the moment of concussion between the 
objects in collision. Reduce this resistance in any 
way and liability to injury will be proportionately 
lessened. The resistance of the human bodv will be 



198 

either reduced or increased to some extent by the 
Mental State indulged at the time, whether it he 
conscious or sub-Conscious. 

Muscular tension, established at the time of an 
accident, frequently is renewed during a series of 
years, and some form of muscular or allied disease is 
almost certain to follow such continuance. In that 
event the disease has its origin in the muscular 
tension, which in turn results directly from the fear 
of injury. Eemove from mind the continued sub- 
conscious remembrance of this fear and, with sufficient 
time for restoration of natural activity in the molec- 
ular construction, relaxation of the tense muscles 
must inevitably ensue. Every muscle of the body is 
equally subject to this line of action, both in causing 
and in curing disease. 

Eemember that the muscles are not separate 
things in themselves, capable of independent physical 
action, but that they all are under absolute control 
of the thinking mind, which uses them as submissive 
servants or as responsive instruments for either 
delicate or forcible action. The muscles do not 
command and the mind obey, but vice versa. Extend 
an arm. Now analyze this act : Did the arm phys- 
ically extend itself, and then call upon you to observe 
its position ? Did the muscles originate the intention 



and force the other tissues of the arm to reach 
forth, afterwards announcing to you their sovereign 
act of will? Or did you first mentally plan to 
extend your arm and then oblige the muscles to 
obey? Why does the arm remain in its rigid 
position? Because the mental action which caused 
it to stretch forth still continues. Close a finger on 
the palm of the hand; did not the mental intent 
precede the physical act ? Cease the mental intent 
and the fixed tension of the muscles vanishes; repeat 
the intent and the tension recurs. 

The marvelous rapidity of thought-action is an 
important feature which frequently leads to the 
erroneous conclusion that some muscular movements 
are involuntary, occurring because of physical impulse 
only. When any act is analyzed in all its phases, 
however, the necessity for both previous conscious 
intent and decisive act of the higher will, either con- 
scious or otherwise, becomes apparent. 

There is voluntary muscular action in response to 
mental volition, sub-conscious, conscious and super- 
conscious; through every degree of power — violent, 
strong, weak, feeble and faint, down to the almost 
imperceptible; but no involuntary, or purely muscu- 
lar, action can ever take place. When mind ivholly 
deserts the body the muscles entirely cease to move. 



The physical body is an inanimate machine : Mind 
is its active centre, and Mental Action its only 
volition. Matter is void of intelligence. 

Numerous cases of nervous prostration, resulting 
from surgical operations and the effects of ether, 
have been entirely cured in short periods of time by 
removing the mental impressions of those scenes, and 
the accompanying Idea of danger. 

One particularly trying case, successfully treated, 
was that of a highly intelligent and capable young 
woman who had nervous prostration which culminated 
in acute melancholia. This disease progressed beyond 
the control of the family physician, who intended 
placing her in a public institution. The case was 
entirely cured, five years ago, by removing impres- 
sions of trying scenes connected with the death of 
dear ones. This person is now filling a public position 
of responsibility, and is in perfect health. 

Several especially severe cases of congestion with 
pain at the base of the brain, have been permanently 
cured by removing the impression of fear produced 
by falls. In one instance the fall was backwards 
down stairs. In another it was backwards over a 
balustrade. Again, the fall was from a wagon which 
started without warning. In another instance, the 
person fell from a tree, striking on the back of the 



head and neck. All of these cases resulted in 
Basilar Congestion, because of the impression instan- 
taneously photographed in mind of a critical danger 
located somewhere behind which, though unseen, was 
anticipated to the ultimate degree and realized as 
coming death. The inaction present in cases of con- 
gestion is a perfect physical picture of the idea 
of death. 

Under such circumstances, as just described, an 
instantaneous demand — with more or less hopeless- 
ness, however — is made upon the Will for assistance ; 
and the mental impression of fear is registered phys- 
ically at the base of the brain and in the principal 
nerve-centre of the spinal column, because that part 
of the nervous system corresponds most directly with 
the mental faculty of Will, responding immediately 
to its impulses. The details of accompanying symp- 
toms vary somewhat with each case, because of the 
particular circumstances of the accident; but the 
principal results are alike. 

Inflammation in all stages, from simple heat and 
irritation, to ulceration, — which is the ultimate action 
of inflammation, — has been traced with exactness to 
scenes of passion, excitement, fear or terror ; where 
the imaging of heat, fire, flames, burning and consum- 
ing through inflammation, was the principal mental 



action involved, resulting either from accidents or 
from moral distortion. 

When properly understood and intelligently traced, 
this theory applies to both external and internal heat 
and inflammation, of blood, muscles, nerves and 
organic structure; in neuralgia, rheumatism and 
fevers; in eruptive, ulcerative and suppurative dis- 
eases, and organic disturbances of all the physical 
organs. The correspondences are frequently so 
evident as to astonish one not familiar with this line 
of activity. The action is perfectly natural, however, 
and is at once intelligible, when it is understood that 
the character of a mental Image of a thought may be 
reproduced in the physical reflection of that thought. 
Fear reacts in heat, developing inflammation, which 
eventually results in ulceration and suppuration. 

Serious cases of Eczema have been traced directly 
to scenes of fire, especially to great disasters — so-called 
" holocausts " — where the mental picture was formed 
from an Idea of the blistering, scorching and burning 
of human flesh. In the physical reflection each 
case exhibits the exact details of the particular pict- 
ure formed in mind at the time of the occurrence. 
One picture will differ from another in minor points, 
but the general image is that of destruction from 
heat, or water and heat combined ; and its physical 



copy will exhibit the same action, frequently repro- 
ducing the mental picture in the physical structure, 
even to the most minute detail of exact representation. 

Some cases of this kind, the most hopeless on record, 
have been cured by removing mental impressions of 
horror arising from sympathy. The individual mind 
unaided is usually powerless to free itself from such 
a load of distorted emotion; with metaphysical 
assistance, however, it finally ceases to repeat the 
original action, when the physical copy fades and 
eventually disappears from the body. Correct 
application of metaphysical principles will cure 
every similar -case. 

Even to a novice, influenzas and colds frequently 
reveal the clearest possible correspondence with some 
recent mental excitement, varying in degree from 
simple anxiety down through the gamut of fear and 
fright to nervous shock. The most usual physical 
reflection of the mental emotion of fear, without refer- 
ence to a definite picture of what was feared, is that 
which is commonly called a cold. This troublesome 
form of disease is inflammation of the mucous mem- 
brane, usually attended in some measure with con- 
striction of the pores of the skin, thus shutting in 
the surplus heat that otherwise would escape. It 
is a state of feverish uneasiness, inflammatory in 



character, with every evidence of the element of fire 
or heat, instead of its absence — cold, in the system. 
The inflammation begins with molecular disturbance 
in the mucous membrane. This disturbance develop 
from nervous atomic vibrations, which in turn reflect 
from mental agitation in some degree of fear, or from 
mental emotion, as previously explained. 

TThen suddenly frightened, or subjected to severe 
mental strain through sickness or death of friends, 
any person is likely to develop a cold, which will be 
either catarrhal, bronchial or pulmonary, or an influ- 
enza in some form, according to temperament and 
individual circumstances. The particular form of the 
cold is determined, not necessarily by what actually 
transpired, but rather by the particular XTental Pict- 
ure which that mind forms of the occurrence, or of 
the features of anticipated danger. 

In their first stages, many colds are influenzas, 
developing later into other forms. Such colds are 
invariably the effect of mental agitation established 
at the time either of an accident or of some other 
disturbing experience. These causes usually pass 
unrecognized, and the condition is nearly, always 
attributed to some physical agency; but careful 
tracing, without prejudice, will bring to light a mental 
cause in everv well-marked case. 



The mental cause of a seeming cold may date back 
many years in the life of the patient, and may repeat 
its action from time to time, resulting in periodical 
colds or other attacks, perhaps at particular dates or 
seasons, or under certain corresponding circumstances 
which act as mental coincidences to re-establish the 
previous disturbed action. These conditions yield to 
right mental influence, and readily disappear under 
metaphysical treatment. Thousands of reliable wit- 
nesses testify to this fact, and it is being repeatedly 
proved in every day's practice. 

Various forms of heart disease result from mental 
agitation attendant upon the death of relatives or 
friends. Grief and heart disease go hand in hand. 
The heart is the gauge of the emotions, and intense feel- 
ing registers there in direct proportion to the mental 
disturbance ; the ultimate is instantaneous cessation of 
action of the heart, bringing this life-period to an end. 

Cases are not uncommon in which a person, upon 
coming into the presence of the lifeless body of an 
especially dear friend, has fallen, and instantly passed 
away. Such changes are manifestly the outcome of 
mental emotion. Cessation of life is the result of 
nervous shock, which, in turn, is due to the mental 
image of death, self-centered at that moment in abso- 
lute degree. Acting under the influence of the mental 



206 

picture of deatn, that Mind deserts its body. This 
manner of death is usually announced as the result 
of "heart disease." In many cases such a conclusion 
is little better than conjecture. 

In those cases where a diseased physical condition 
was present it was the result of previous mental 
emotion in such lines of agitation as bear relation 
to the nature of the heart, and register there because 
of that relationship. This previous disturbance left 
the individual with a mental picture which established 
a predisposition to excitement from similar mental 
influence ; the result — sudden death — was all the more 
probable because of that mental reason. 

While Materia Medica has no remedy for such a 
mental state, and medical science can only surmise 
the cause of illness previous to the autopsy, Meta- 
physical Healing goes to the root of the matter at 
once by discovering and removing the original pre- 
disposing mental disturbance which has been con- 
stantly weakening the heart's action and generating 
disease in its tissues. This restores all organs and 
functions to their normal condition, after which, pre- 
disposition to attacks of "heart failure" disappears, 
and the Individual, if called upon to go through an 
ordeal, will have sufficient natural strength to undergo 
the trial without disaster. 



When mind thinks, each vital organ responds in 
a corresponding degree of activity, regardless of con- 
scious recognition of the fact by the individual. On 
both the sub-conscious and the super-conscious planes 
of mental action, the heart is under absolute control 
of mind through Thought-action: it instantly re- 
sponds to and accurately registers mental emotion in 
the direction of either death or life. 

The thought of death means Departure from life 
on this particular plane of existence. The thought 
of Life, fully realized in mind, means healthy, living 
activity on all planes. 

The real man of spiritual essence, the intelligent 
Individual having actual Being, is life eternal — a 
living entity of indestructible Eeality. No deathly 
element could ever have mingled with the ingredients 
of his constitution, because living activity — Life — is 
the only absolute reality in the Universe, and with 
life once realized no different reality remained to be 
acquired. If death had entered before realization of 
life, then life would have been of no avail, for death 
already held the portal. Life and death can never 
occupy together. Life cannot die ; Death cannot live. 
That which does not live can never act. Life is a 
deathless reality; Death but a lifeless illusion. Man 
never dies — he onlv changes his field of conscious 



action, or enters on another plane of life's experience. 
Traveling round the circumference of the wheel of 
active Being, he perhaps inadvertently slips back on 
one of its spokes, returning to the centre from which 
he sprang; then, gathering fresh impetus, he again 
springs forward, once more to realize the outermost 
action of the circumference, in Individual experience. 
Thus his life progresses in periods of seeming sepa- 
rateness with an end to each interval; but the wheel 
goes perpetually onward in the harmonious activity 
of eternal life, and man travels with the wheel, having 
no conscious choice in the matter. 

The impulse of Eternal Life is irresistible. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE COMMON GROUND OF HEALING 
METHODS. 

Why do Conflicting Theories Heal ? 

If the theory that a mental picture is the cause of 
sickness be true, why is it that those who pay no 
conscious attention to these pictures, even in mental 
practice, but believe quite differently with regard to 
the nature and cause of disease, also produce cures? 

This important point should be lucidly explained. 
All evidence established during accurate examina- 
tion of the subject, invariably goes to support the 
theory that the Imaging faculty of mind is involved 
in every cause and in every cure of disease, regard- 
less of the external means employed. 

In the first place, every case of disease yet 
brought forward for examination in metaphysical 
practice, has exhibited well established mental im- 
pressions, or pictures in mind, that bear direct 



correspondence to the disease, in character, quality 
and form. 

In the second place, many people have thor- 
oughly tried all other methods of cure, including 
those of the various mental schools, without per- 
manent help. Yet, on the discovery and removal 
from mind of corresponding pictures, they have 
recovered, sometimes almost immediately. 

Many schools of practice exist in all parts of the 
world, varying in theory from extremely material 
views to the highest spiritual ideas. Each of these 
schools produces cures. All cannot be entirely cor- 
rect in theory unless the Life and Being of man is 
a most discordant mixture, with no sure foundation 
— illogical, inconsistent and unreal. Neither philos- 
ophy nor science points to such a conclusion. 

The fact that all schools produce cures, suggests 
that there may be a common Law of Activity, 
capable of being called into action without full 
consciousness of the process, which action, if estab- 
lished, will result in a cure regardless of the means 
employed. If so, that Law is discoverable, and 
when fully comprehended will prove universal in 
application. 

Some people recover while taking medicine; and 
the cure seems to have been effected by direct 



action of the medicine itself. This usually adds 
strength to the opinion that the disease was an 
actual physical thing, and that the medicine pre- 
scribed was the particular ingredient which Nature 
intended as a remedy for that disease. This opinion 
is frequently entertained regardless of the fact that 
the list of remedies named by the schools as 
Nature's real curative substances is changed every 
two or three decades — in fact, is constantly changing. 

While one person takes medicine and recovers, 
another, equally sick in the same way, turns to the 
Faith Cure, and recovers without any physical 
application of the so-called natures remedy. Another 
prays by himself, without the aid of a special 
organization ; he also recovers with no other sensible 
means than his own effort to attract the attention 
of a healing power. Others perform some cere- 
monious act; wear an amulet, or carry a souvenir — 
perhaps a horse-chestnut in the pocket, or a bean, 
or a stone. All of these methods produce cures to 
prove their efficiency. No one, however, explains 
these results satisfactorily to those who are inclined 
to think and to investigate for the sake of knowl- 
edge. Why is it possible to obtain approximately 
the same result through widely different means ? 

While some are cured by faith, others go unre- 



lieved in spite of the same agency. This, also, may 
truly be asserted of Medicine in all of its schools and 
branches. Why is it that all schools heal some 
cases, while none of them succeed with all curable 
cases of any given malady ? 

The following tenets of theory are believed to be 
indisputable : 

1. If there is but one true theory with regard 
to the cause and development of disease, then there 
can be but one true principle of cure. 

2. If there exists only one true way to heal the 
sick, then all methods differing from that one must 
be developed from false theories through mistaken 
ideas. 

3. A false theory contains no power for the direct 
healing of disease, because falsity is devoid of prin- 
ciple, and without principle there can be no law, con- 
sequently no power for action. 

4. If the real cause of disease is many-sided, so 
that sickness comes through channels bearing no direct 
relation to one another, then no single line of action 
and no one means of cure can reasonably be expected 
to apply in all cases. In that event no school, con- 
fining its efforts to one principle of cure, has exclusive 
right to the treatment of disease. 

5. Disease may be many in its particulars, yet only 



213 

one in its nature ; in which case the true Theory of 
cause as well' as of cure must be the same for all forms 
of sickness ; each separate kind being a part only of 
the one nature, and each particular application a mode 
of employing the one healing power. 

The facts underlying these tenets may be concen- 
trated as follows: 

If there be one fundamental Character to all dis- 
ease, there also must be one fundamental Cause, of 
which local causes are only branches. In that event, 
one theory of cure will be the foundation of all true 
curative influence. 

Examine, for a moment, the apparent facts in the 
various methods of treatment and their common 
results : 

Under analysis, the different schools of practice 
resolve into two common classes : On the one hand, 
those holding that disease is physical, and of the body 
only, and following a theory of herb, drug or chemical 
medication ; and on the other, those believing disease 
to be a condition of the mind and susceptible of 
mental cure. There are branches to each of these 
schools which deviate from the pure theories and some- 
what confuse methods, but the main idea of each 
school with regard to the nature, cause and cure of 
sickness is adhered to by each branch. It is indis- 



2I 4 

putable that both these schools perform cures in all 
their branches; therefore, curative action is not con- 
fined to any one school, method or means. The vital 
question is, How is the cure performed? Is it physical 
in one case and mental in the other ? If so, then both 
mind and matter have independent power for action. 
Is there any common ground on which advocates of 
both these theories can meet, examine facts, and prove 
that both produce results through the same laws ? 

When rightly studied, one common element is 
found in every form of disease, namely : Discordant 
Action. Without this no disease can develop. It 
seems certain, therefore, that there must exist one 
line of activity for all causes of disease — a line which 
corresponds to the discordant action involved. This 
must be either physical or mental; it can not be both, 
and still be only one activity. No activity can 
operate on other than its own plane ; therefore, both 
the cause and cure of any disease must be of 
the same order. 

Are all these cures physical ? Emphatically no ! 
Those wrought in the various mental schools are 
mainlv in cases where no physical remedies were 
employed. To state that because the patient recovered 
without medicines, it is proved there was nothing the 
matter, is to confess complete ignorance of mental action 



and its established facts. In the physician's case, 
it frequently means refuting his own diagnosis — 
sometimes a diagnosis based upon consultation with 
eminent authorities. 

Are all cures performed mentally? At first 
thought this also seems impossible, for in many cases 
medicines were administered under medical treatment 
and the patients recovered. 

During impartial examination of the subject, one 
important fact always appears : While in many cases 
treated mentally no physical means were employed, 
and there was no material agency to which the cure 
could possibly be attributed, yet in every case treated 
physically, the factors of mind and mental action were 
undeniably present in some important degree. The 
physician had hope, and confidence in his own ability. 
The patient also had hope and probably considerable 
confidence, with growing expectation which finally 
reached the point of mental realization of a cure — 
a most potent factor. Others, perhaps, took part in 
this super- conscious mental action, thus contributing 
to the aggregate of courage, confidence, hope and 
realization of recovery. In all ages and among all 
classes of people instances have been recorded where 
a mother has held out against the most decided 
assurance of the physician that her child was sick 



2l6 

unto death, and that no human power could save its 
life; and by sheer force of mental determination she 
has held its little life above and safe from the men- 
tal danger which then overshadowed it because of 
false beliefs with regard to the supposed fatal powers 
of disease. Every such victory demonstrates beyond 
question that a power rests in mind which can over- 
throw disease and conquer death, even on the plane 
of determined will — by no means the most powerful 
plane of mental action. Why should not mankind 
have the full benefit of knowledge pertaining to that 
power ? In all similar cases, the body is controlled 
by mind, each mind assisting the other, perhaps not 
consciously, but with effective results. If no one, 
either present or absent, has any hope, confidence or 
realization of life and health, and if no correct mental 
action be established on any of the three planes of 
consciousness, material science proves of no avail. 

With the larger number of cases treated success- 
fully by mental methods, physical means of cure is 
out of the question, and mental activity is the only 
factor involved; while in medical treatment there 
invariably is mental action as well as physical means, 
and both appear as possible factors in the cure, 
until each is adequately examined. 

It is a well-known fact that where no mental 



action is involved, medicine does not operate. No 
physician would attempt to medicate a lifeless body. 
Life must be present, with mind active in some 
degree, on some one of the three planes of conscious- 
ness, or no effect can be produced by medicine. 
Without life there is no action ; without conscious- 
ness there is no life, and without mind there is no 
consciousness on this plane of living action. 

When these facts are carefully weighed, it seems 
reasonable to suppose that the mental plane of action, 
which is invariably involved in every case of either 
a cause or a cure, may be the plane on which the 
curative act is always performed. If this be so it 
follows that in all methods, excepting the purely 
mental, which relies upon no other means, the cure 
must have been effected through a mental action 
established without conscious recognition. 

This we claim is the underlying fact of all 
methods of cure — Medical, Chemical and Electrical; — 
by Water, Best, Travel, Change, Massage, Color, Music, 
Prayer, Faith or Superstition. With each a mental 
factor is sub-consciously involved in the operation, 
and if for any reason that action is not established, 
there is no cure in that case. 

The faith-healer of the Church will not attempt 
a cure unless the patient on his own account has 



faith that the Supreme Being is about to perform a 
special act for his good. This is distinctly a mental 
act of realization of a cure. The competent phy- 
sician is reluctant, and may even refuse, to treat a 
patient who doubts his ability, or lacks sufficient 
confidence to establish what is really a mental reali- 
zation of a cure in his own case ; thus, perhaps 
unconsciously, demanding faith as imperatively as 
does the faith-curist. If the disease be purely 
physical, and the medicines are the true remedies, 
possessing independent power for direct action on 
the disease itself, regardless of mental action, why 
should any degree of faith or confidence be necessary 
or even an important factor? 

In every case of this kind the patient is thrown 
upon his own responsibility to cure himself. The 
external means operate advantageously only because 
they serve as a medium to arouse the required 
amount of confidence. Both mental and physical 
schools fail with many cases where cures would be 
effected if the real laws involved in both cause and 
cure were sufficiently understood by their practitioners. 

The teachings of all Schools of Mental Healing 
train students in the application of thought to a 
given purpose, along lines which result in a change 
of the dominant Idea, and the change is from that 



219 



which generates a picture of discord to such as will 
inevitably result in harmony and health. This mental 
change may be effected by the thought of another, 
regardless of conscious thought on the part of the 
patient; in which event a cure is effected not only 
independent of his faith in it 7 but even against 
extreme incredulity. This fact has repeatedly been 
proved in the cases of persons who, through avowed 
scepticism, refused treatment, yet were treated and 
permanently cured without their own knowledge or 
consent ; also in the cases of children and others, not 
responsible for their own decisions, and with the 
demented, who could not be reasoned with about their 
condition. These facts are now of daily occurrence. 

Mental pictures capable of causing disease may be 
formed by any wrong process of thought. The moral 
plane of action contains important factors of this sort. 
Recognizing this, some advocates of Mental Healing 
erroneously attribute all sickness to direct sinful act. 

Whatever thought forms a picture not in accord- 
ance with the real laws of life, becomes the cause of 
some degree of sickness which will come to the sur- 
face in due time. Immoral thoughts, as surely as 
accidental happenings, form erroneous pictures, which 
establish discordant modes of action. In either event, 
the most effectual application of principle through 



thought, is such as will enable the operator to discover 
the particular picture formed in that mind, and to 
change the mental action to a better mode by placing 
higher objects before the understanding. This not 
only cures the disease, but brings about the needful 
reform. This result can be accomplished only through 
the Imaging faculty of Mind, and with universal suc- 
cess,- only through the highest act of Imagination — 
the Imaging of real Ideas. 

If those mental healers, of any school, who sup- 
pose that they produce results independent of mental 
pictures, will closely examine their method of proced- 
ure in applying mental treatment, it will become 
apparent that the process of thought which comprises 
treatment, whether it be a continued train or an 
instantaneous flash of thought-activity, operates 
through the Imagination, in Mental Imagery, and 
produces the desired result only by changing action 
in the patient's mind, thereby removing a picture 
of disturbing nature and substituting one that is 
harmonious in character. 

The activities of mind are so subtle that these 
pictures frequently are changed super-consciously, 
without either party concerned being aware of the 
circumstance. 

While some thought-activities are slow in their 



procedure, others result in an instantaneous change of 
mental pictures. Without a mental picture there 
can be no thinking process, and without a change of 
mental picture there can be no change of thought. 
Therefore, if no mental picture be either removed 
or replaced, no cure will be effected. There can be 
no deviation from this universal law of mental action 
in the life of individuals. 

Some people are ill because pictures of wrong 
thoughts have been harbored until false action has 
become temporarily established. Any process of 
thought, whether instantaneous or continued, suf- 
ficient to eradicate that wrong mental action and 
establish a right mode instead, will cure that case. 
In the case of others, the sickness is caused by par- 
ticular mental pictures of injury, of death, or some 
form of fear not necessarily associated with immoral 
actions. These cases can be cured permanently only 
by erasing the particular pictures which caused the 
special symptoms. 

Treating solely along moral lines, on the theory 
that only sin causes sickness, will never efface a pict- 
ure of fright; and although treatment applied, on 
general principles, might act to modify mental action, 
and thereby render temporary relief, still there is a 
feature of chance in the attempt, and the ultimate 



result is decidedly uncertain. But the process of 
erasing the particular picture of discord, whether it 
be generated by immorality in sinful thought, by 
fright, or by the two combined, must invariably result 
in a permanent cure — and this regardless of direct 
faith or expectation on the part of either patient or 
operator. Through such application of principles 
every curable case may be reached understandingly, 
leaving nothing either to chance action or sub- 
conscious influence. 

Neither the range of thought nor the scope of 
power are in any way limited by giving attention to 
the special cause. In reality, both are thereby ex- 
tended; because, by understanding the laws involved 
in every mode of mental action, direct thought can be 
applied to all kinds of cases throughout the entire 
range of mental and spiritual activities. Thus the 
metaphysician is prepared to deal intelligently with 
every vicissitude of life. 

The deepest principles of Divine Keality are out- 
wardly expressed in the living activities of the intel- 
ligence of Man. These activities are consciously 
exercised, and can be intelligently studied only 
through the Imaging faculty which, on its various 
planes of action, enables Man to come in contact with 
all things real. On the lowest and most outward 



plane of life the Imaging faculty enables one to recog- 
nize forms and objects of sense. On the next higher 
and more inward plane, through the same faculty, 
the living souL recognizes laws of action and their 
accompanying results. On the highest plane, Divine 
Intelligence, shining through the spiritual nature of 
the Individual, illumines every faculty, making 
possible the recognition of principles through pure 
imaging of real Ideas. Perfect exercise of the Imaging 
faculty, therefore, will develop the best modes of 
action in every stage of progress, and eventually lead 
to the highest conceptions possible to the human 
mind, culminating in purest spiritual perceptions of 
fundamental truths. This is an attainment possible 
for every intelligent individual. The value of the 
means leading to so high an end cannot be over- 
estimated. 

Knowledge of the Universe is within the grasp 
of every one who learns to properly exercise this 
wonderful faculty, for within human comprehension 
there exists no limit to its action. 

One who ignores Universal Law thereby limits 
his powers and, sub-consciously, confines his efforts 
within narrow bounds; while he who recognizes the 
law, and conforms to it in every instance, searching 
for and obliterating the harmful picture in each case, 



22 4 

succeeds with all classes. The scientific application 
of curative mental influence lies entirely in this 
direction. 

The Principles of Being are involved in every 
moral question, and are expressed in all the laws of 
active life. These lavs are the instruments which 
must be employed in conscious thought to produce 
right results. ^V hen thoroughly understood, all laws 
of life are recognized in the Unity of the one Prin- 
ciple of Being. Oxe is the Principle and the Law 
of all Reality, and one Law applies to all. 

In Eternal Principle all things are whole. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

The Importance of the Movement. 

The necessarily limited scope of this work will 
not admit of extended consideration of the subject 
of Metaphysical Healing through all its interesting 
and instructive phases. Enough, perhaps, has been 
said to explain the general ground of the philosophy 
of thought involved, and to illustrate the practical 
application of metaphysical principles to the healing 
of disease — which is all that has been attempted. 

This work is not intended as an argumentative 
treatise, but rather it is a necessarily limited pre- 
sentation of a subject of great depth, containing 
knowledge of which humanity is in urgent need. The 
cases cited in the preceding chapters are not 
intended as "proofs to those who have had no similar 
experience, but simply as illustrations of the modes 
of action through which results are obtainable. 



Similar illustrations any intelligent individual may 
trace out for himself in the experiences of those 
around him. Marked exemplifications of the fact 
that a given case of sickness was preceded by a 
mental disturbance closely resembling the abnormal 
physical condition, will frequently be met with in 
such investigations. Careful study of the subject 
will prove to each inquirer what the illustrations 
given here prove only to those who were interested 
in their development. 

These are by no means either the most remark- 
able correspondences between cause and effect, or 
the best results in healing that have been effected. 
Many who read these pages will recall cases of a 
more marked character which have been permanently 
cured. Those here presented have been selected 
with a view to a clear tracing, in lines which can 
easily be followed by those unfamiliar with the 
theory, and also as cases showing a single symptom 
resting upon a single cause, because such afford 
plainer examples of the working of the laws. Com- 
plicated cases which usually exhibit more wonderful 
phases of mental action have been excluded, because 
they are more difficult to understand. There is, 
however, a superabundance of such cases on record, 
and they clearly illustrate almost every phase of 



mental activity in its relationship to physical action. 
In every case of the kind thus far treated, the 
following facts have been conclusively established : 

1st. The particular mental picture, which by 
reflection produced the physical symptom, was not 
formed until its causative Image of fear or emotion 
entered the activity of that mind. The action pro- 
ceeds as follows: 

(a) The Image of fear of personal harm, first 
formed in mind. 

(b) The Picture of the exact details of the an- 
ticipated injury. 

At this point the general Image and the special 
Picture merge into one form of mental activity, and, 
uniting in reflected physical action, they become 
the direct Cause of the Disease eventually generated 
by that action. 

2d. The Disease did not appear until after the 
corresponding Mental Picture was definitely formed; 
sometimes not until years had elapsed. 

3d. The disturbance continued with more or 
less intensity until the Image of fear was identified 
and its element of discord mentally removed. 

The circumstances of life sometimes cause an Imas:e 
to lie dormant in mind, and its physical reflection to 
remain practically inactive for a time, but it is likely 



228 

to be aroused at any moment by a predisposing cir- 
cumstance. The individual is never safe until this 
Image has been removed. As soon as the Image is 
erased the disease begins to yield, and it finally 
disappears altogether, with greater or less rapidity, 
according to the individual circumstances of the case. 
Some conditions require hours, and some days; while 
other cases, equally curable, require weeks or months 
for natural mental action to become fully expressed 
in thoroughly rejuvenated physical tissue throughout 
the entire system. If the right mental action be 
established and continued, however, a natural health v 
physical condition must eventually result. 

The facts of cure expressed in these cases are con- 
sidered as evidence of the existence of definite laws 
which, for the good of humanity, should be studied 
until they can be universally applied. It is idle to 
attempt to put them aside with the plea that " what 
has been, is good enough for us." The human family 
is overburdened with fear and disease. The former 
can not be dealt with medically; the latter assumes 
many hitherto incurable forms, because of which men 
live in terror and die in anguish. 

The application of thought to a given case for a 
definite purpose, with intelligent understanding of 
certain laws of activity which underlie that particular 



case, has already been proved a power for good, with- 
out the possibility of harmful complications. Mental 
Healing, therefore, is a blessing to suffering humanity. 
For these reasons its advent is hailed with joy by 
those who wish to see humanity benefited, and every 
intelligent thinker who comes rightly into its under- 
standing must in some measure recognize its import- 
ance. The greater the intelligence, the more prompt 
and responsive the recognition. 

" Metaphysics " — The Science of the Real Life of 
Being — is already well established as the true philos- 
ophy of life, and is bound to gain ground even more 
rapidly as its principles become better known. Its 
healing efficiency will also increase in power and 
scope as knowlege of the application of thought to 
the manifold experiences of life becomes extended. 
With time for suitable growth of understanding, 
through extended research and universal demonstra- 
tion, this knowledge will raze from the field of human 
life that monstrous structure of physical disease, with 
its thousands of terrifying names — all devised in the 
schools. Then may we calmly view the merry dance 
of joy held over the remains of the last school which 
. teaches that man is mainly a chemical receptacle, and 
that the only way to reach the inner recesses of his 
being with a remedy is through his mouth, while the 



230 

only element that can " scientifically " give him health 
and extend the period of his life, is some vile ingre- 
dient possessing only deadly qualities. " Life " brought 
to man in the vessel of death frequently proves to 
be but the dregs from the cup of the unwelcome 
messenger. A deadly drug contains no life: the 
belief that it does is a fatal illusion. 

The facts of Metaphysical understanding do not 
rest upon statement alone; they can be intelligently 
examined by means of results which are of daily 
occurrence, and are constantly increasing both in 
number and in scope, and any individual who enters 
upon the examination will find himself in a numerous 
and thoroughly respectable company. 

It is claimed that Metaphysical Healing is a right 
and reasonable means of relieving suffering humanity 
of its burden of medically incurable diseases, and it 
is hoped that the facts here presented may lead to 
careful individual investigation. Unprejudiced inquiry 
certainly will prove the justice of the claim. 

No one is expected to believe, simply because it 
is asserted, any statement which from his standpoint 
seems unreasonable; but each is asked to suspend 
judgment until opportunity is found for adequate 
examination of the subject, and then to examine 
impartially for his own sake and that of those dear 



to him. Under intelligent scrutiny, facts will be dis- 
closed and truth realized for permanent good. The 
only Elixir for the perfect healing of the nations lies 
in a pure understanding and a right application of 
Metaphysical Principles, which belong to everybody 
and are free to all. They are never written upon a 
sheepskin; simply to understand is the only diploma 
required for either authority or power. 

Believing or disbelieving either what others say, 
or what at first thought seems right or wrong from 
one's own point of view, will not necessarily result in 
the acquirement of knowledge of real Truth. Only 
patient, painstaking examination of the subject, with- 
out fixed preconceived opinions on the Ideas to be 
dealt with, can reveal the actual facts. Through idle 
argument alone no one can be rightly convinced. 
Proofs rest within individual comprehension, and must 
be acquired at the fountain-head. 

In lines of action similar to those explained in 
the previous chapters, Discordant mental emotion 
underlies every known disease. Though at first sight 
many of the modes are intricate, and difficult for the 
untrained mind to conceive, yet they are clearly 
explainable. 

All the knowledge acquired from the books and 
professors of all the Medical Schools in the world 



leaves the student still ignorant of this vital patho- 
logical fact. .The deepest learning and the greatest 
skill, derived from the experiences of a lifetime spent 
with the numerous sciences included in a medical 
education, leave their professor still helpless as an 
infant to deal with these mental causes of disease. 
Yet, every practicing physician is constantly sur- 
rounded with cases parallel to these, and every patient 
who appeals for aid is suffering from some picture of 
distress, which would readily yield to mental influence, 
rightly applied at the real seat of the trouble. 

This explains the fact that so many cases classed 
as hopeless are found upon the list of every prominent 
medical practitioner. Such cases are readily cured by 
any one possessing sufficient knowledge of the laws 
involved in Mental Causes to obtain a correct mental 
diagnosis and to give adequate mental treatment based 
upon real metaphysical principles. Detailed knowl- 
edge of the physical body and of so-called physical 
disease is no more necessary to the effectual per- 
formance of such a cure than detailed knowledge 
of brush-making is necessary to the portrait painter. 
The results already accomplished can no longer be 
denied while we retain the capacity for intelligent 
recognition of facts in the Universe, neither can they 
be explained under the laws of the physical sciences; 



therefore they demand, and in time will receive, due 
attention from scientific thinkers. The Metaphysical 
then will be recognized as the true platform of the 
Physical, where all thinkers may stand, and think, and 
work in unison for the good of all, for the truth in 
all, and for the eternal right that inheres in every 
living atom of the boundless Universe of Reality. 

All the minds of living men combined do not 
yet know all that is taking place in the universe or 
on this earth — not even in a grain of sand, much 
less in the intricate affairs of human life. 

Unyielding prejudice is a millstone hanging about 
the neck of the modern materialist, and he is bound 
to go down with it unless he cuts loose through free 
investigation of facts. Truth can not be strangled, 
and facts will not remain underground. 

The one eternal fact of existence is the progres- 
sive action of real life, a perpetually revolving wheel 
of active law, at every turn of which fresh facts are 
brought to the surface, exposing to view principles 
of value to every individual. If we are withstanding 
the eternal advancement of Universal Law, we must 
expect to be engulfed in the spiritual wave of prog- 
ress which is now surging through the soul of 
intelligent man, cleansing his faculties of every 
obstructive influence and purifying every purpose. 



Life is action, and action is progress. He who 
ceases to progress, ceases action, eventually crystal- 
lizes, and physically ceases to live. 

Definite Law is expressed in every real activity, 
and Principle underlies every law. Through reason- 
able analysis of Ideas, based upon intelligent under- 
standing, both Principle and Law are accessible to 
every individual. 

Intelligent Understanding is a genuine faculty 
inherent in the spiritual nature of every human 
being. Through conscious thought, based upon cor- 
rect understanding of first principles, any desirable 
right action may be established by any thinker. 
When such truth is called into activity by one mind, 
its unfolding harmonies radiate and spread unre- 
strained throughout the extent of Universal Mind, 
eventually leading millions into the field of Intel- 
ligent Understanding of Principles, where every 
spring bubbles over with the health which sparkles 
in its depth, and every rill dances in the eternal 
joy of living action. 

Thought, is an active spiritual power : 
Man, its living master. 

THE END. 
Printed in New York. 



ISTew I^iglit 

FROM THE 

Great Pyramid ! 

The Astronomico- Geographical System of the Ancients 
Recovered and Applied to the Elucidation of History, 
Ceremony, Symbolism and Religion. 

*By ALBERT 'ROSS T ARSONS. 

Whenever we hear of growls from the Russian Bear, or of the 
American Eagfle flapping his wings, we recognize at once the familiar 
heraldic emblems of the Russian Empire and the American Republic. 
In the present work it is shown for the first time that the only bears 
set in the stars fall to Russia, and the only eagles to America, by 
virtue of a prehistoric universal astronomico-geographical system, 
which also displays the constellation Taurus over the Taurus mount- 
ains, and the ancient Chersovesus Taurica (the modern Crimea), 
which was the home of the Tauric, or bulls, the Scythian ancestors of 
the modern Saxons, or people known as John Bull ; and in like man- 
ner the constellation Perseus over Persia ; Orion over Iran ; Medusa 
over the Medes ; the Unicorn over British India ; Capricornus-Pan 
over Panama ; the Ram over Rome ; the flaming Lion and Dragon 
over China ; Cygnus-Canaan over Canada ; Virgo over the Pacific 
Ocean (the Blessed Virgin, and Star of the Sea being known in the 
Orient not as Virgo, but as Dhurga), etc. 

The work contains maps both of the surface of the Globe and of 
the constellations in the Heavens, with numerous rare and significant 
illustrations of great value. 

New Light from the Great Pyramid is copiously illustrated, 
handsomely printed, and bound in a substantial manner, scientific 
size, and is a most important addition to the literature of the day. 

PRICE, $4.00. 
Postpaid to any part of the World reached by the Postal Union. 

THE TR^DE SUPPLIED. 

PUBLISHED BY 

The aIetaphysical Publishixg Co. 

331 Madison Avenue, New York. 



PARSIFAL 



THE FINDING OF CHRIST THROUGH ART 

By Albkrt Ross Parsons 



Extracts from Private Letters to the Author. 

From an Episcopal Clergyman. — "I have read closely and with deep interest 
your ' Wagner Study.' In a purely literary sense you have done your work admir- 
ably ; but this is only incidental to your purpose, which is one of grave moment in 
these times, when such crowds of thoughtless but apparently cultured people are 
making an idol of Wagner without knowing why, or indeed at all understanding the 
religious and ethical source from which sprang the noble and characteristic inspira- 
tion of his masterful genius. To me the massive and luminous quality of Wagner's 
handling of the fundamental truths of Christianity is of the nature of a revelation. 
The depth and grasp of his mind were remarkable, and joined to these there is an 
air of profound sincerity which gives added weight and charm to his thoughts. I 
hope your essay may have a wide circulation." 

From a Surgeon and Author. — "No one can read until he appreciates the full 
import of Wagner's utterances, without perceiving that in his own way he had 
gained a vision of the Redeemer which the intellectual eye alone never can. In 
its analytical range our mental sight is even more limited than the physical eye, 
which sees only a portion of the field of the spectrum and, therefore, has to learn 
by other means that there are powerful rays at either end which are wholly 
invisible to it. But Wagner's testimony is of the highest value for one reason, 
namely, that art owns birth of spirit rather than of mind, of heart more than of 
intellect, and it was therefore by deep, true feeling that Wagner found the unsatis- 
factoriness of every voice in this world that was not Christ's. He did so because 
he felt so much, and thus passed beyond the narrow range of purely intellectual 
light, to the other light which is also power." 

From the President of a Branch of the Theosophical Society.—" When your charm- 
ing book reached me, I was just starting for A—. I took it with me and enjoyed 
it very much. It has gone into other hands and I think is to make quite a circuit. 
So you see the good work goes on. Probably we are sowing, you and I, different 
kinds of grain, but I think it is grain although there may be some tares among it." 

From a Clergyman. — "I cannot tell you adequately how I have enjoyed your 
noble exposition, and I cannot overstate my appreciation of it." 



From a Clergyman. — "I have taken great pleasure in your unveiling of the relig- 
ious thoughts of the musical poet and seer of these late days — his baton a divining 
rod ! There is none but must consider how great this man was, who calls forth 
such an army of loving interpreters, and who from whatever side he is viewed so 
enforces admiration. I thank you for the thoroughness of your work and the valu- 
able suggestions and side lights of your own thought." 

From a College Professor and Author. — "I do not know that I ever read a work 
which so satisfied me as does your ' Parsifal,' and I cannot but appreciate not only 
its literary merit, but its artistic and ideal realization. It comes as near to my idea 
of a book as possible. The body full and to the point, and self-clothed with enough 
out of its great topic to need no more ; and the appendices so copious that they 
are an argument in themselves, and a firm foundation for whatever in the text 
seemed to call for them. I took a real and positive pleasure in the reading of it." 

From a Clergyman and Author. — ' 1 Your synopsis of Wagner's writings on theology 
has been an entire feast for me, while your appendices do notably support both his 
and my own work." 

From a Clergyynan and Author. — "I have read Mr. Parsons' interesting 'Parsifal ' 
with sincere interest and admiration. Mr. Parsons has shown a marked spirit of 
reverence, and his critical discrimination is singularly acute and felicitous." 



Notices of the Press. 



"Mr. Parsons has been long and favorably known as one of the leading 
musicians of America, but it is a matter of no little surprise to find him possessed 
of so thorough a theological equipment. Evidently philosophy has been the intel- 
lectual relaxation of his otherwise busy life. By the creation of 'Parsifal' Wagner 
is shown to the world as the exciter of the deepest religious emotion, a guide to 
spiritual heights through new paths, a modern reviver of the extasis of the Neo- 
Platonists, through the unconditioned power of music."— Home Journal, New York. 

"Mr. Parsons has been a wide reader and a deep thinker. His studies 
in Wagner at first hand have enabled him to give a remarkable interpretation to the 
theological significance of the great German master. Among the signs of the times, 
few are more striking to the thoughtful observer than the fact brought out by this 
volume, that the man who confessedly stands at the head of modern music, and 
who has been popularly supposed to represent the Pagan Renaissance, did in reality 
travel the historic road by which humanity climbed out of Paganism into Chris- 
tianity, and made his rich and noble art a veritable finding of Christ. When the 
priest and the doctor have done with their ecclesiastic and theologic talk, and the 
world still holds aloof, it may be for the artist and the poet, the philosopher and the 
musician, to lift aside the veil hiding the real Christ and show him unto men, 
pointing out the real meaning and value of our symbols of worship and of faith." — 
All Souls Monthly. 

"A thoughtful work on Wagner's last masterpiece 'Parsifal,' showing great 
sympathy with the composer's intentions." — Detroit Free Press. 

"A very full and enthusiastic exposition of the views Wagner held at the close 
of his life as to the reality and power of Christ's relations to men. A valuable 
appendix contains much additional matter." — Public Opinion, Washington. 



"Many will be amazed at the new Wagner Mr. Parsons presents to us, although 
it is a Wagner accessible to all of us in his collected writings. It cannot be denied 
after reading Mr. Parsons' more than interesting volume, that Wagner was a profound 
thinker on Christianity." — Musical Courier, New York. 

"Mr. Parsons' clever and stimulating essay on 'Parsifal' will repay perusal."— 
The Church?nan, New York. 

"It has evidently' been a labor of love to present Wagner in thi9 way, and the 
work deserves respect. It is published with an appendix which is even larger than 
the body of the text, but it is all well worth reading and ought to make Wagner 
even more popular than ever before." — Boston Post. 

"A profoundly interesting and instructive writing, and in a comparatively new 
field." — Portland Oregonian. 

"These utterances of Wagner are quite original, and the citations are cleverly 
arranged to show the progressive steps by which he reached an understanding of the 
Iyight of the World. 'Parsifal' will reward attentive perusal." — Philadelphia Ledger. 

" Those to whom Wagner's music brings uplifting, spiritual thoughts, will deeply 
rejoice in this earnest, loving presentation of the words of a great man." — New 
Haven Palladium. 

"An addition of an unusual kind to the multitudinous Wagner literature. 
Wagner has been presented to us in many shapes. Here he is shown as a theolo- 
gian, and Mr. Parsons' ingenuity and analysis will no doubt be appreciated. The 
earnest and moving words used by Mr. Parsons seem entirely justified. It is 
altogether a very suggestive and interesting record." — Philadelphia Telegraph. 

"Those to whom the name of Wagner stands only as the symbol of music, 
cannot fail to be surprised and pleased at the depth and range of his philosophical 
thinking, many examples of which are here presented. The universal disease of 
society is want of brotherly love— it is not the great deeds, but the sufferings of men, 
that bring us near to them." — Werner's Magazine. 

Second Edition— Cloth, $1.25. 
Postpaid to any part of the World reached by the Postal Union. 

PUBLISHED ONLY BY 

THE METAPHYSICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

331 Madison Avenue, New York. 



THE 

Philosophy of Mental Healing. 

By LEANDER EDMUND IVHIPTLE. 

This book contains a clear interpretation of the 
scientific status of the Mental Healing movement, 
based upon extended practical experience in success- 
ful demonstration. 

The work is the result of careful study and exhaust- 
ive research along mental lines, and is replete with 
valuable information not to be found in an}' other 
printed work, including a variety of illustrations of 
cures effected by mental means. 

It treats in a thoroughly practical manner of such 
subjects as Metaphysics versus Hypnotism, Mental 
Healing and Surgery, Telepathy, Thought Images, 
the Effects of Fright, Mental Causes, Curative Influ- 
ences, the Law of Correspondences, and other equally 
important subjects, and is intensely interesting from 
beginning to end. 

This work stands alone in scientific exposition of 
the facts of Metaphysical Healing, thus occupying 
independent ground in the literature of to-day. It is 
indispensable to every well-informed person and an 
acquisition to every library. 

Elegantly printed on fine paper. Handsomely 
bound in cloth and gold. 

PRICE, $2.SO 

Postpaid to any part of the world reached by the 
Postal Union. 



The trade supplied. 

The Metaphysical Publishing Company, 

New York, 

No. 331 Madison Avenue. 









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